QED users - how are you faring?

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Roddosnow, Your question is very interesting, and I shall try to answer it as best as I can.
Over the years I have used all sorts of detectors both prototype and production models. Detectors are no different from most other types of equipment, in that variations will exist in supposedly identical products. You have probably experienced this yourself. Let's use motor cars as an example. I myself have seen that two cars, supposedly identical, but one just seems to have a bit more get up and go than the other, or uses more fuel, or runs smoother. How can this be, when they were built in the same factory, same engine and transmission, and same everything.
Getting in back to detectors. When I first bought my GPZ7000 it ran smooth as silk, and disregarding the weight, it was a ripper. My friend was not so lucky. His was a temperamental, ill mannered dog of a machine. At first I thought he was just having trouble adjusting to the new technology, but when I used it I understood what he was complaining about. It was not right. He returned it, but was told that after testing it was found to be faultless. Then the ferite ring was brought out to remedy a problem that supposedly did not exist. It made a slight difference, but it still did not behave anywhere near mine. The next supposed problem fixer was a software update. It made no difference to my machine that I could discern, but once again my mates detector showed minor improvement, but still below par. In the end he sold it, after being honest with the buyer that he did not think it was as good as it should have been. He took quite a hit on the price, and we have since learned that his was not a totally isolated case.
How could that have happened? The components are supposed to be identical, but that is an impossibility. Perfection exists only in theory. Two components may be very close to identical, but not identical. A machine that is constructed of components that are very close to their specified design and function will run very well, but you only need to have a few bits not close enough to tolerance and the finished product is faulty. Testing and quality control may not always show any faults, but in the field you are in possession of a 'dog'.
In the case of the QED Howard goes to extreme lengths in his choice of components, and final testing, however small variations may occur, and I have yet to see a sub standard detector that he has built slip through. In the unlikely event of this happening Howard would replace it immediately as he is a stickler for quality. (unlike some others)
 
Reg Wilson said:
In the case of the QED Howard goes to extreme lengths in his choice of components, and final testing, however small variations may occur, and I have yet to see a sub standard detector that he has built slip through. In the unlikely event of this happening Howard would replace it immediately as he is a stickler for quality. (unlike some others)

Well said Reg.

Also apparently he uses a certain test piece and procedure to check each QED for parity before being released for sale.
 
Has there been an update recently? I just noticed something about Beach mode, I know nothing about. Or is it part of the PL2 update?
 
Mine came with the beach mode but havent used it yet. As for what update its part of I dont know. Mode 16 is used when there is effectively no ground to balance against like sand, I think it can give you more depth. Im sure someone with more knowledge will add to this.

B
 
It's not part of any particular update - just the latest improvement you can get done if you wanted to.
I only got it as mine was being upgraded to the same PL2 configuration as being sold now (control box under arm cuff) so while there any software updates were done free.
Beach mode (Mode 16) has no effective ground balance so is only for use on dry beach/benign ground. Possibly could be ok as a relic mode also? Haven't tried it either but should punch deep in benign ground.
Not sure if I'll ever use it but it's there if I wanted to. Could be interesting on the beach with 16" NFA coil attached :D
 
I have one of the PL2 (control box under arm cuff), but mine only goes to mode 15 so I might have to send mine back. I will check more into it as there Mite be more tweaks to the box in some more areas. thanks guys :Y:
 
Have only used it on the beach at Nha Trang in Vietnam. Worked real well with no apparent difference between dry or wet sand. Dug a lot of Saigon beer caps, but we did manage a few Russian coins. Bris Dave was going to try a spot near an outdoor beach bar after I left on Saturday, but havn't heard result yet.
I wouldn't worry about the extra mode as it worked well in all modes.
 
Reg, just for you ...................... going on what you wrote regards time frame, the beaches at Nha Trang had just been cleaned days prior to your QED visit with an SDC and it pulled lots of lovely bling. No 9ct gold in Russia, it's all the good stuff 18ct + ;) :Y: :Y: Gold buyers at Ben Thanh quickly converted finds to cash :lol: Well free trip along with a root canal and a crown at least for the swinger :rolleyes: ................. now that's gold :eek:
Hope this clarifies for you and only posted as would hate you to have thought that the QED was only working on bottle tops and coins :(
Footnote ................ Russians just love the big bulky bling .................. and so do the scales :Y:

Some ones making money in Viet so I'm told ?

1523977036_pov_viet.jpg


Waiting Waiting

1523977267_viet_vendor.jpg


A BYO restaurant Vietnamese style :Y:

1523977615_byo_in_viet.jpg
 
Reg Wilson said:
The reason for our visit to the beach was mainly to see how the QED would handle wet sand with the extended mode.
I'm happy to report that it had no problems at all, running smoothly.
.

Reg if that extended mode was Beach Mode 16 then it appears it is able to handle wet salty sand and not only dry benign sand.

I would have thought wet salty ground at a beach would have required to be ground balanced out?
 
Rush, not only did it handle the wet sand in the extended mode, but all the way through the modes. Moving from dry to wet sands seemed to make no difference at all. To say we were surprised would be an understatement.
Bris Dave now has his QED in Nha Trang, and a lot of interest has been generated. Hence the demo on the beach.
 
Rush said:
I would have thought wet salty ground at a beach would have required to be ground balanced out?
So would I considering how a lot of machines handle dry sand ok but can't handle wet sand well at all (mainly single frequency VLF/LF detectors though).
Just reconfirmed what Howard had relayed to me via email & mode 16 definitely has no ground balance so maybe he has found a pulse delay that can handle wet sand/beach salt? If so then maybe this could lead into something for the goldfields salt lakes/saline saturated ground where a lot of machines can struggle??
Great how new things are always being tested/developed for the QED & if you choose to get any new updates they are easily & cheaply (cost of postage in some cases) upgraded. :Y:
 
Reg Wilson said:
Roddosnow, Your question is very interesting, and I shall try to answer it as best as I can.
Over the years I have used all sorts of detectors both prototype and production models. Detectors are no different from most other types of equipment, in that variations will exist in supposedly identical products. You have probably experienced this yourself. Let's use motor cars as an example. I myself have seen that two cars, supposedly identical, but one just seems to have a bit more get up and go than the other, or uses more fuel, or runs smoother. How can this be, when they were built in the same factory, same engine and transmission, and same everything.
Getting in back to detectors. When I first bought my GPZ7000 it ran smooth as silk, and disregarding the weight, it was a ripper. My friend was not so lucky. His was a temperamental, ill mannered dog of a machine. At first I thought he was just having trouble adjusting to the new technology, but when I used it I understood what he was complaining about. It was not right. He returned it, but was told that after testing it was found to be faultless. Then the ferite ring was brought out to remedy a problem that supposedly did not exist. It made a slight difference, but it still did not behave anywhere near mine. The next supposed problem fixer was a software update. It made no difference to my machine that I could discern, but once again my mates detector showed minor improvement, but still below par. In the end he sold it, after being honest with the buyer that he did not think it was as good as it should have been. He took quite a hit on the price, and we have since learned that his was not a totally isolated case.
How could that have happened? The components are supposed to be identical, but that is an impossibility. Perfection exists only in theory. Two components may be very close to identical, but not identical. A machine that is constructed of components that are very close to their specified design and function will run very well, but you only need to have a few bits not close enough to tolerance and the finished product is faulty. Testing and quality control may not always show any faults, but in the field you are in possession of a 'dog'.
In the case of the QED Howard goes to extreme lengths in his choice of components, and final testing, however small variations may occur, and I have yet to see a sub standard detector that he has built slip through. In the unlikely event of this happening Howard would replace it immediately as he is a stickler for quality. (unlike some others)

Thanks Reg for your detailed reply, i can definately see that across all brands and models there are good ones and not so good ones, i think i will worry less about this and more about the opportuinity that the QED offers as a low cost entry into PI prospecting.

Thanks to mbasko, davent & rush for your opinions as well. I like that there is a consensus on this particularly that it has come from some members who are experienced in using a wide variety of detectors.

i suppose to compound the slight variations that may exist in the detectors themselves, i imagine there are also variations in coils of the same brand and type causing there to be good and not so good coils which may be the cause or at least excacerbate some of the variances your describing.

also you could look at it like this, the variations that may exist may be positive, as in the machine or coil that we deem to have not so great performance may be the "standard" and the machines that we deem to be the standard may be the "Exceptional" hence the reason for machines that dont seem to punch as deep or be as sensitive still operating within the manufacturers acceptable specs.??

a key thing as far as users and buyers are concerned is support from the manufacturer if there are any issues.

Cheers
 
I took my new qed2 out today on it's maiden voyage
Thanks for the help with settings reg the knowledge was invaluable
I've never used a detector before so it was a bit daunting
2 hours in and I was a man thinking like I've used the machine for years
Did I find gold ? No
Did I find targets ? Yes
8 to ten slugs
A belt buckle
A spoon
A stud button
Too many horseshoe nails
Nails in general
Plenty of surface tin
But what impressed me the most were the staples I found
So tiny
So minute
All were found at depth
I also found a lump of lead which weighs heavy in my hand without scales
I also found other bits and pieces
I'm sure once I fine tune and learn the settings
It will find gold
I'm sure of that
I'm confident in saying I never swung over a target
If I did I could add gold to the list
Once again
Thanks reg and props to the qed
 
Change your modes to suit the coil/Ground.

There is a " Harmonic " you have to find.
The machine will tell you.
15" NF on hot ground is around 5, 7 or 9.
Can go higher but not lower. :) :0
Factory defaults then pick 1/2 way between upper and lower.
Then change bias to suit.
Only takes about 2 minutes.
If the machine starts to sound off,
Down button for high tone,
Up button for low.
Pick the middle digit.
As you go it is only 1 or two quick clicks to re-balance.
If it is really going off,
Go find a shady tree including a few cold ones and think about it.
No one else would be bothered. :Y:
 
I think you're getting bias & ground balance a bit mixed up in your set up there Tath.
Bias neutral can generally be around 50 but will differ with modes/coils.
To find neutral go up until you get a constant hum & note number. Then go down until you get a constant hum & note number. Neutral will be mid point I.e. if high number is 58 & low is 48 then neutral will be 53. You can adjust either side of this neutral point to bias towards small (lower) & large (higher) targets or leave it at neutral for a good compromise on all target sizes.
If you are otherwise ground balanced but picking up hot rocks or spurious ground noise a good feature of the QED can be the manual ground balance adjustment. Depending on whether it's a high or low tone you can manually adjust the ground balance on the run & it should remove or greatly diminish hot rock or ground noise signals - you will be doing this regularly in variable ground. It was +/- 4 clicks previously but I believe Howard now recommends +/- 8.
If it is really going off Tath grab your GPX & if required using auto tracking or put on a DD coil. Plenty would still be bothered :D

I think for me this thread has run it's course & gone away from it's original intent.
May be better to close & start fresh thread/s to address set up etc. as questions arise? Will make it easier to find specific info too.
 
Cheers tath
Its in harmony with the sadie
Working beautifully
I need headphones to suit now
Aldi are out of stock with the braun noise cancelling
So I'm in search for a compatible set within budget
Thanks for any advice for a set in advance
:perfect:
 
Dave 63, there are things going on quietly behind the scenes. Can't say too much yet but interesting collaborations between Aus and Russia. Will report further after more testing.
 
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