Howdy folks.
New QED owner and a reader of all things QED for a few weeks.
Been detecting for 3 years and have owned a GPZ 7000 and an SDC 2300, added a Gold Monster and then added an Equinox. A little background as to how I have ended up with a QED (and the Equinox).
Sold the SDC early on as realised that the GPZ will get things easily as small as the SDC but also a lot deeper. And it will get the real deep, big stuff also.
The Gold Monster was just for a bit of fun and something for family and friends to use if they came out. It worked well but when I got the Equinox I soon realised the Equinox was just as capable on small gold and far more versatile across many more uses (coins, jewellery, beach, etc). The Equinox really is a fantastic, light weight detector. Probably the one that I have enjoyed using the most.
The GPZ finally got sold with a few months warranty left on it as it just wasnt getting used enough to justify $9,500 sitting in the cupboard.
But I still wanted something that I could use when I did get the time to get out, something lighter than the GPZ and something at a much more sensible price. I am on a couple of forums that JR Beatty and Reg Wilson frequent and if experienced blokes like those 2 felt the QED was capable then it seemed worth a try.
I received the QED on Monday. Purchased through Maldon Gold Centre but it is a Detech package put together by Stinky Pete at Detech with an 11 Ultra Sensing Coil.
I have obviously got weak from swinging the Equinox (1.34 KG) as I was expecting the QED to feel a bit lighter although it is only 2.15 kg itself. Nothing compared to swinging the GPZ though (3.32 kg).
Everything charged up and have had the last 2 days off to play. Having read lots on AEGPF and never having used a GP/GPX series or a Garret, etc, P.I. machine I felt that I might have things a little easier in that I wouldnt have to unlearn old thinking and start again. This was sort of the case
Day 1 about 4 hours total at 2 different locations that I have found small gold (up to 1 gram) and have flogged pretty well with the GPZ, SDC and Gold Monster. Considering this I was not expecting to find any targets at all.
For the life of me I could not get a steady threshold, the EMI seemed all over the place, ground balance was hard to get right, I was ground balancing often and I did Factory Default about 8 times for the day just to re-start things from afresh. Tried different modes, different THS A, THS B nothing helped! I did find 1 larger than average shot gun pellet but that was it. It was an ordinary day.
I was using the supplied speaker with the supplied cable for my audio. In terms of ergonomics and catching on things Im sorry to say but it is poor. It is only a matter of time before the 6.5mm to 2.5 mm adaptor sticking out of the battery box gets caught on something and bends/breaks.
Came home last night a little frustrated but knowing that there must be something that can be changed to improve the situation. A little more reading on AEGPF last night.
Day 2 Went back to spot number 2 that I had gone yesterday. Started the machine up with a Factory Default and set it up in what I hoped was the right fashion. Same thing as yesterdaybugger! Persevered for 10 minutes and turned the speaker off, unplugged it and directly plugged in some Philips sports earbuds that I originally purchased to run off the WM-12 of the GPZ.
WELL!!! The difference was chalk and cheese! A steady threshold, a ground balance that was easy to identify and it held. I turned the THS A down 5 notches and the THS B also down 1 notch and the QED purred along.
In the same place that I had found almost nothing yesterday I found what you can see in the photo. Some on the surface and some at depth. Deepest target was a nail at approx 7-8 inches. The GPZ absolutely loved lead shot so I was very surprised to find any of that. And if I am finding lead shot I am confident that it will find gold if the coil passes over.
Audio whatever your personal desire its obvious the QED needs quality audio. Personally I hate being tethered to a detector and will soon change to wireless.
Some of the smaller shot close to the coil gave what you might call a usual sound response a little wheee as the coil passed over. I have seen comments on AEGPF about the pitch change and the volume change on targets. I found this on the deeper targets. As the coil edge hit the target there was a slight raise in volume, but then a change in pitch that dipped below threshold and then volume returned at the other edge of the coil. All easily heard with the wired ear buds in.
Performance apart from the SDC this is the first time I have used a PI machine. The SDC was fool proof but also ungainly and limited in its versatility. The QED has shown me that it will find small lead shot and will find it going over the same ground that other, more expensive machines, have covered pretty thoroughly. I dont feel that this makes the QED particularly better as all machines miss some targets, but it obviously has a point of difference and should be more than capable at finding small gold. Although, this is not the purpose for which I have bought a QED.
I did have some issues with a patch of ground that was compacted white clay. Was signalling off across much of it although they were broader signals that were not responding like a specific target. Once dug and broken up the signal dissipated. Due to it having such variability it was hard to Ground Balance that particular spot but that might come with practice and adaption.
With the audio issue under control I am happy with performance so far and am keen to use a variety of coils that some friends have to see what will work well, play with different modes, etc.
NE.
New QED owner and a reader of all things QED for a few weeks.
Been detecting for 3 years and have owned a GPZ 7000 and an SDC 2300, added a Gold Monster and then added an Equinox. A little background as to how I have ended up with a QED (and the Equinox).
Sold the SDC early on as realised that the GPZ will get things easily as small as the SDC but also a lot deeper. And it will get the real deep, big stuff also.
The Gold Monster was just for a bit of fun and something for family and friends to use if they came out. It worked well but when I got the Equinox I soon realised the Equinox was just as capable on small gold and far more versatile across many more uses (coins, jewellery, beach, etc). The Equinox really is a fantastic, light weight detector. Probably the one that I have enjoyed using the most.
The GPZ finally got sold with a few months warranty left on it as it just wasnt getting used enough to justify $9,500 sitting in the cupboard.
But I still wanted something that I could use when I did get the time to get out, something lighter than the GPZ and something at a much more sensible price. I am on a couple of forums that JR Beatty and Reg Wilson frequent and if experienced blokes like those 2 felt the QED was capable then it seemed worth a try.
I received the QED on Monday. Purchased through Maldon Gold Centre but it is a Detech package put together by Stinky Pete at Detech with an 11 Ultra Sensing Coil.
I have obviously got weak from swinging the Equinox (1.34 KG) as I was expecting the QED to feel a bit lighter although it is only 2.15 kg itself. Nothing compared to swinging the GPZ though (3.32 kg).
Everything charged up and have had the last 2 days off to play. Having read lots on AEGPF and never having used a GP/GPX series or a Garret, etc, P.I. machine I felt that I might have things a little easier in that I wouldnt have to unlearn old thinking and start again. This was sort of the case
Day 1 about 4 hours total at 2 different locations that I have found small gold (up to 1 gram) and have flogged pretty well with the GPZ, SDC and Gold Monster. Considering this I was not expecting to find any targets at all.
For the life of me I could not get a steady threshold, the EMI seemed all over the place, ground balance was hard to get right, I was ground balancing often and I did Factory Default about 8 times for the day just to re-start things from afresh. Tried different modes, different THS A, THS B nothing helped! I did find 1 larger than average shot gun pellet but that was it. It was an ordinary day.
I was using the supplied speaker with the supplied cable for my audio. In terms of ergonomics and catching on things Im sorry to say but it is poor. It is only a matter of time before the 6.5mm to 2.5 mm adaptor sticking out of the battery box gets caught on something and bends/breaks.
Came home last night a little frustrated but knowing that there must be something that can be changed to improve the situation. A little more reading on AEGPF last night.
Day 2 Went back to spot number 2 that I had gone yesterday. Started the machine up with a Factory Default and set it up in what I hoped was the right fashion. Same thing as yesterdaybugger! Persevered for 10 minutes and turned the speaker off, unplugged it and directly plugged in some Philips sports earbuds that I originally purchased to run off the WM-12 of the GPZ.
WELL!!! The difference was chalk and cheese! A steady threshold, a ground balance that was easy to identify and it held. I turned the THS A down 5 notches and the THS B also down 1 notch and the QED purred along.
In the same place that I had found almost nothing yesterday I found what you can see in the photo. Some on the surface and some at depth. Deepest target was a nail at approx 7-8 inches. The GPZ absolutely loved lead shot so I was very surprised to find any of that. And if I am finding lead shot I am confident that it will find gold if the coil passes over.
Audio whatever your personal desire its obvious the QED needs quality audio. Personally I hate being tethered to a detector and will soon change to wireless.
Some of the smaller shot close to the coil gave what you might call a usual sound response a little wheee as the coil passed over. I have seen comments on AEGPF about the pitch change and the volume change on targets. I found this on the deeper targets. As the coil edge hit the target there was a slight raise in volume, but then a change in pitch that dipped below threshold and then volume returned at the other edge of the coil. All easily heard with the wired ear buds in.
Performance apart from the SDC this is the first time I have used a PI machine. The SDC was fool proof but also ungainly and limited in its versatility. The QED has shown me that it will find small lead shot and will find it going over the same ground that other, more expensive machines, have covered pretty thoroughly. I dont feel that this makes the QED particularly better as all machines miss some targets, but it obviously has a point of difference and should be more than capable at finding small gold. Although, this is not the purpose for which I have bought a QED.
I did have some issues with a patch of ground that was compacted white clay. Was signalling off across much of it although they were broader signals that were not responding like a specific target. Once dug and broken up the signal dissipated. Due to it having such variability it was hard to Ground Balance that particular spot but that might come with practice and adaption.
With the audio issue under control I am happy with performance so far and am keen to use a variety of coils that some friends have to see what will work well, play with different modes, etc.
NE.
