Fisher Impulse AQ Limited

U2r

Silly.

Try Much harder next time.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 01:36AM by lytle78.

I guess this way of doing things keeps the "stem wobble" complaint type guys to a dull roar....a good thing when we are talking about a multi million dollar research and development project...
cjc

Im a little confused, as usual some would say, but these two statements....one seems to say there will be no difference between the limited editions design and electronics....... but is there going to be a significant difference performance? Is this performance .... mostly run time, if so any upgrade wont be compatible with the limited machine. I can see that IF say the connectors have to be changed to get it to say 3 meter depth. Rick put these two statements together for me are they saying the same thing....... or is Fisher saying one machine will be $600 to a $1000 better when released after this model?

"Fisher Research Labs makes full disclosure that it continues with product and technology development and will make improvements in design and performance after the introduction of this limited production run. The -AQ Limited will not be upgradeable to future releases of Impulse technology."

"We will study a little bit more if something needs to be changed. It's more about solidity, rather than design. And when I say solidity, I mean screws, rubber...
Design and electronics are not supposed to change"

there will be no difference in performance
between the two versions
detection depth and rejection performance of iron
are exactly the same

the main difference will be the battery capacity
new battery box / the same will be on the nugget version
high capacity lithium stick battery
6 hours of detection on a charge
== more approval problem for the aircraft

new headphone connector
reinforced waterproofing (battery box) offering 3 meters

the price in a limited version / brings almost nothing to Fisher
the cost of development is much higher.

I would add, that during the current 18k
it's less than 50 gr
a few weeks ago I went on a spot
who had good digging
at least 12 or 15 prospector was before me
everyone i saw / had minelabs
sov / etrac / exca / nox ....
passing behind them, I have 51 gr 18k in four days ....

[www.youtube.com]

those who can afford this machine
we will have to rewarm it before the release of the mass production version

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detector used : Fisher Aquamanta /

Pulsepower Goldscan 5c / Aquastar / Goldquest SSV3 / Nexus Coronado / Vista Gold

How much detection time on a charge on the limited version?

How waterproof is the limited version?

Ok here is my take...Major detector company basically telling you the limited run is sub par to a future release of the same detector. You cant upgrade it so you will have to buy the upgraded version too.

Sounds to me like Fisher has some money problems on this project and needs to hawk off a 100 sub par units to fleece the flock for some cash....

Fisher cant even come up with a release that makes any sense.... WHY in the world would you guys think they can develop a ground breaking new tech???

This is about one of the silliest things I have ever seen in my whole life...

EVERYONE should tell fisher we aint paying for a unfinished product so go back to the drawing board....but I know there will be a 100 who cant stand it and have to lay down their $1499 to be the FIRST to have one.

I hope you battery wont go dead or your defective connector break!!! Again SILLY!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 12:13PM by calabash digger.

I think releasing 100 of these early units is a great idea.

3.5 hours is plenty for me, I couldn't care less about the waterproofing and I'm perfectly capable of protecting the cables. The performance is supposed to be the same as the future machine which may take a year or two to produce and will cost much more.

The people using these detectors will have extremely useful input for future designs. I'm glad to be a part of it.

When they finally do come out with the Impulse line, they should offer a more affordable non-waterproof beach model because I'm pretty sure the vast majority of Impulse AQ buyers will not be taking them into the water.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 02:44PM by Badger in NH.

Cal, your two initial questions are covered in detail in the document I linked to in my original post.

By asking the questions you have established that you haven’t read the document. Had you done so, you would have gotten information which might have informed the rest of your comments.

The answers to these two questions - from the Disclosure itself.

A fully charged Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery pack provides about 3.5 hours of use per charge. About 5 hours are required to fully recharge the battery pack. Extra battery packs are available for sale, but if you need to stay in the water continuously for more than three and one-half hours, the -AQ Limited is not for you.

Beach, Surf and Shallow Water: the -AQ Limited is not designed for diving. Each detector is immersion-tested to a depth of 1 meter for 4 hours. The M8 connectors on the power cable and headphone jack are the limiting design component. While the searchcoil and housings are designed to withstand greater depths, the M8 connectors cannot be submerged to greater depths or they will leak.

As far as the rest of your post, it will not interest the eager buyers of however many units are eventually produced. I have over 40 buyers waiting. When these units are gone - units which are being sold at a price which provides no return on investment for Fisher - buyers will be able to buy the revised units at a normal price. I don't know what that price sill be, but I expect it will be comparable to past top of the line water units like the CTX.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 01:27PM by lytle78.

If you happy spending $1499 for 3 1/2 hour run time by all means have at it.

Fisher is only surviving off their past reputation
and just like in any business that will run out if it doesnt get corrected!

So you think releasing a 100 unfinished or sub par units is a great idea?
I am glad your not in charge of marketing for our business...

Time will tell.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

And of course the Groupies didn't disappoint--their weeping and rants are as amusing as ever.

calabash digger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So you think releasing a 100 unfinished or sub par units is a great idea?
> I am glad your not in charge of marketing for our business...

Calabash, I think it's exceptionally clear you are in all-out opposition to this detector. Understood, thank you. BTW, Rick had nothing to do with the decisions on how to market this detector, nor did I.

Originally the Impulse was to go to market the way it is, except with a Lithium battery pack. Then we ran into a massive wall of new lithium regulations that would cost a fortune to circumvent. Probably why the lithium-fueled TDI is no longer on the market. Plus, the M8 connectors did not live up to their expectations. Both forced us to back down to a NiMH battery and a 1-meter rating. Fixing both of those requires a revamp of the entire mechanical system, and that's what we are going to do.

But that takes time, and meanwhile we have a system that, while not ideal, is perfectly acceptable for some people. Those "some people" are, ideally, serious beach hunters who want the opportunity to get targets they (or anyone else) could not get before. They will be OK with the limitations knowing that it will still be a big advantage over anything else they could swing. See Le Jag's post above, where he netted 1.22 troy ounces of gold in 4 days, hunting behind other detectors. That's good enough to pay for the detector, with $600 left over for booze and hookers. In 4 days. If I still lived in Florida, I'd have one of these and be on the beach every weekend. But I'm in Oregon, where there is only one lost ring along the entire coast.

Again, this detector is only for people who really want it. You don't, I understand that. But other people do, and they will likely do very well with it.

Thanks Rick, Carl and JAG.... very good information IMO. Seemed like some conflicting info but cleared it up for me. Some of you asking or complaining like they said just aren’t keeping up..... and I under stand if you aren’t full tome beach guys. It’s odd the M8 didn’t work. They are working well on the Nox and the MDT.... was it a unique style? Headphones seems like a simple fix for me. So... if the cable going from the battery box can be sold if it’s not going to be the same it seems we could use the NEW battery... yes? I’d be good with that. 6 hours beats the heck out of 3.5. Great news it’s the same detector just doing those tweaks. Sooooo what’s another of the 3.5 packs cost?

I hear yah... so being able to only detect for 3 hours is a BIG disadvantage and the water proof rating not being where it needs to be.

LE JAG has a personal stake in this detector so I am not going to take his word as gospel....

GEOTECH I am not against this detector per se I am against the way Fisher is rolling it out. Personally I think it is a bunch of hype but time will tell as Rick said. I am a big enough man to eat crow if I am wrong.

So instead of Fisher eating its mistakes they are going to pawn off a 100 detectors with bad batteries and connectors to limited deserving few experienced beach hunters. Yeah makes a lot of sense...

QUACKS LIKE A DUCK AND WALKS LIKE DUCK MORE THAN LIKELY ITS A DUCK.

But... other machines use M8s in the water for phones and coils. I’ve not had any issues with them. But then I rarely remove either of the cables to charge or the headphones to swap a pack .... so mine stays sealed. Hey I’ll take a $1000 saving if I can buy that battery to box cable should they change it and I can run 6 hours. That’s more workable for those called elite hunters. They will be out there ...I believe Clive said 10 hours on a recent zoom I watched. The serious beach hunters are competitive and would wish some of us would only stay 3.5 hours lol. Most that buy believe this is fixable.... so if no performance is being changed which would cause more to wait they should sell. I mean.... a nickel at 18” is great... but what is it waist deep hopefully with this warmer water we can find it. If we can’t find a fix... we will need 2 batteries and take the chance of swapping them out there.... otherwise this really will be a niche machine just used for short days. Some will bring another detector as an option. I won’t... just to many sticky fingers out there for me.

Am I the only beach hunter here who doesn't need this detector to be waterproof? I don't need M-8 connectors, O-rings, or waterproof seals.

To me, the only problem in production is the battery. which I'm okay with if Lithium isn't available, but when Lithium does become available for production, why can't they make a Lithium battery that will work with the AQ Limited? Is 100 not a big enough number to bother with?

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Am I the only beach hunter here who doesn't need t
> his detector to be waterproof? I don't need M-8 co
> nnectors, O-rings, or waterproof seals.
>

For $500, nope. For $1500, yep.

_________________________________

Nox600, CTX, CZ21, Excal II and White's DF with 920i stealthscoop...I live and hunt at the beach in Wilm NC

The revised version will have a completely different battery arrangement which will not be able to be retrofitted to the AQ limited.

Various solutions for replacement batteries have been sketched out already at Steve’s place – it’s not particularly difficult you just need to make a provision for connecting to the end Of the Detector Rod and splitting the headphone feed to a separate connector on your homemade battery

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

LE.JAG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> there will be no difference in performance
> between the two versions
> detection depth and rejection performance of iron
> are exactly the same

Thank you for that information. Happy Hunting!

Since the idea is being floated that anyone interested in this Limited version model is a sheep being lead to slaughter, I thought I'd weigh in.

I'm an experienced user of ground balancing pulse induction technology for quite some time now. I'm quite familiar with the tech and what it can and can't do. I'm familiar with the lineage of this detector and therefore the potential it has. I've followed its progress with great interest since day one. I am an adult who can read, I've read the document presented, and I understand the physical limitations as they currently exist. These would primarily be the battery life and depth rating. I'm just fine with wading so the depth rating presents no issue. I got a spare battery on the way, so I'm good for 7 hours of detecting. I'm fine with that. I'm fine with the two year warranty, and I have no problem at all with the $1499 price. I have almost no concerns about my being able to take this 4.2 lb machine out and do very well with it, for $600 less than the 7 lb Garrett ATX it is replacing.

There are a few more like me that actually know what we are doing, know what we are getting, and are quite ok with all of it. I am perfectly on board with the idea of buying a second model later that has an upgraded battery setup and better depth rating if I so choose. I also suspect this unit will be salable down the road for as much or more than I paid for it. But if not, that's ok also. Compared to the $7999 GPZ 7000 I had this is a trivial purchase.

So there you go, I am a reasonably sane person and I don't have any issues with any of this. Those of you who do have problems with it, don't get one. The document, if you read it, is quite clear that you should not. I on the other hand am one of the first in line for one of these, paid the same price anyone else that gets one will pay, and damn glad of it. It is a shame some people are glass half empty types that can only focus on the negative aspects of anything. I prefer to focus on the positives and the fact that after years of waiting FT is bringing something to market that will have some value in the world of detecting. Something that is not just a relabel. Extremely powerful, ground balancing pulse induction metal detectors, soon to be available in two models, on for beach, one for dry land with a focus on gold prospecting. These units will compete with the most powerful detectors made to date, but weigh far less and cost far less. These detectors are not for everyone, but there are some of us who need machines like this. I've been advocating for detectors like these for years, and therefore I'm seeing things here some of you are simply blind to. I for one applaud First Texas for that, and thank Rick for seeing to it I was able to lay my hands on one of these as soon as possible.

Steve Herschbach



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 09:04PM by Steve Herschbach.

lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Various solutions for replacement batteries have b
> een sketched out already at Steve’s place – it’s n
> ot particularly difficult you just need to make a
> provision for connecting to the end Of the Detecto
> r Rod and splitting the headphone feed to a separa
> te connector on your homemade battery.

That sounds promising. Good to know the brilliant minds at Steve's are working on a better battery. I will be following that topic.

Once people start using the detector, we will be able to see what alternative battery design works best. It might be even easier to make if it doesn't need to be waterproof.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 09:09PM by Badger in NH.

Seems to me lithium ion battery size matter as far as the regulations go covering. For air travel, etc.
For gee whiz.
I like the batteries Tarsacci uses.
Forget the rating and model number of them though.
Wonder how many of these (multiple) it would take to give AQ platform 5 hours of run time?
Wonder if these could be mounted in upper stem where they are feed down though top of upper Rod? Or even possibly through the bottom of the top Rod.
Naturally make the Rod dimension wise to fit the batteries.
Wonder how this would feel weight wise/ balance wise?

Just thinking off the top of my head.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 09:10PM by tnsharpshooter.

We will see what comes out of how easy it is to come up with a battery system. Not everyone wants to drop cash on two machines when the only issue seems to be battery. A beach machine for my purpose has to be waterproof that’s half the beach to me especially for a PI. Remember Toms statement .... 10 to 1 bad to good target out there. Need comes down to the beach .... the Gulf is a bit different animal. I to want a PI with this ones ability ... and have. The only reason most of us have used more of them is trash to treasure..... and now this at least narrows that down some..... with a huge depth gain.

dewcon4414 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We will see what comes out of how easy it is to co
> me up with a battery system. Not everyone wants
> to drop cash on two machines when the only issue s
> eems to be battery. A beach machine for my purpo
> se has to be waterproof that’s half the beach to m
> e especially for a PI. Remember Toms statement .
> ... 10 to 1 bad to good target out there. Need c
> omes down to the beach .... the Gulf is a bit diff
> erent animal. I to want a PI with this ones abil
> ity ... and have. The only reason most of us have
> used more of them is trash to treasure..... and no
> w this at least narrows that down some..... with a
> huge depth gain.


And not everyone should drop money on two machines. Here is one that unfortunately only select people can get. Sorry, I have no control over that. So for starters, you might not be able to get one even if you want it. But if you don't want it, that's pretty easy. Don't get it and wait and see if they can come up with something you want. If they can't you are no worse off than you are today anyway. It's not rocket science.

It's just stupid dumb metal detecting, and not worth all the BS over what is effectively a hobby for nearly all of us. Is it so hard to just chill out and have a little fun with it all? I mean seriously, whatever happened to just talking about new detectors and going detecting and having fun? Isn't there enough heartache and strife in the world already for people, without having to taint this great thing we do with negative talk and hard feelings?

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Am I the only beach hunter here who doesn't need t
> his detector to be waterproof? I don't need M-8 co
> nnectors, O-rings, or waterproof seals.
>
> To me, the only problem in production is the batte
> ry. which I'm okay with if Lithium isn't available
> , but when Lithium does become available for produ
> ction, why can't they make a Lithium battery that
> will work with the AQ Limited? Is 100 not a big e
> nough number to bother with?


I'm with you Badger. I believe the AQ LIMITED would work very well in my situation. Enough so, that I'm willing to be in queue with Rick and hoping to have the appropriate boxes checked.

That aside, it's curious to watch Scott explode every so often and do the flame dance. To be honest, not really very appealing.

If I have a disappointment, I think the coarse treatment by Scott and other forum members on Tom's site to many persons including Rick, Carl and LE JAG discourages them from participating here more frequently and those of us who might be interested in the discussions / information come out of it empty handed and going elsewhere, myself included.

I really wanted to follow this 'project' but the information here on Tom's forum dried up. Why? I can suppose, but I guess you would really have to ask Rick, Carl, LE JAG and any other information sources we HAD.

If we really want to have a place here at Tom's where good discussion and wide participation can happen, there needs to be better behavior by the Forum Members.


UtahRich -

------------------------------------------------------------------

Just one more good target before I go.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2020 12:58AM by Gonebeepin'.

I thought I was discussing the machine. You are right I may not be given the opportunity to have one of these. You are also right I’m fine with that my machine choice have been good. It’s also a crap shoot if the added depth will make a difference where I hunt. In some cases with our sand an inch or a foot if the machine don’t see it you won’t get it. You may well believe I’ve an agitator but I’d like to think I’ve been asking reasonable questions since the beginning. I wouldn’t be following it if I didn’t see it’s potential much like others.... and like other want one. Rather it be the Xcal or whatever machine mods sometimes need to happen for use in the water to improve the machine..... and of course plan for repairs. At this point yes time to go enjoy the hobby ....you will be on Santa list or ya won’t lol.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 10:27PM by dewcon4414.

I personally have no problem with the AQ limited and it's limited battery life (I'll get 2 batteries) and depth rating (I usually hunt the wet sand and wade very little). I asked to be on Rick's list early on and if I check all the boxes with Rick, hopefully I'll have one sooner rather than later. I not only plan on using it on the beach, I will also put it to the test on dry land for relics (which I think can be done).

I've been following the AQ since I first heard about it 5 years ago and I for one am ready to get my hands on one, bugs worked out of not. I've got 1000's of hours on various pulse machines and I'm really excited to see what the AQ can do compared to what's currently out there. My hope is that those who do get the AQ early will keep the rest of informed as to it's performance and also features they would like to see changed/added on the models to come.

One thing I know it has Eric Foster's Goldscan 5C built into it. I spanked many an arse at DIV Hunts using Erics detector.

Tex, you are absolutely right that Eric Foster's basic two-channel ground balancing PI was the starting point from which Alexandre Tartar started his decade-long program of - first reverse engineering - and then developing through dozens of versions an advanced specialized machine for ONE THING - finding gold jewelry at salt water beaches.

The reason I wanted to chime in on your post however is that folks like you who live in districts with extreme Mineralization like Culpepper Virginia may find that this lightweight beach machine can do some really interesting things at sites which up to now have been ruled by minelab GPX series detectors. All metal is the search mode of choice and sheer depth and stability and quiet will rule. Now the ground balance system of the AQ is not designed for extreme inland mineralization, but I think it will surprise some people when tried there.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 11:08PM by lytle78.

I totally agree with Steve Herschbach posts. Hell, I may even get two if I like the first one. I have a house in CT and a condo very near the Treasure Coast of FL. It is just easier to leave detectors at the different locations.

I am getting excited and waiting for the email or call from Rick.

I've been on the sideline for the last 2 years watching this unfold. Just started water hunting this year and 3.5 hours in the water is plenty for me. I asked to be put on the list, but, I don't think I can tick enough boxes to get my hands on one due to my lack of water hunting expertise. In the mean time, I'll continue to watch this sage as it continues.