F-Pulse

[ivconic]

The other day i got 4 brand new pinpointers.
One F-Pulse and 3 Nokta pp.
It is needless me to record testing videos and show how those performs; since many others already did that and Youtube is pretty much fed up with such videos.
I can only write in few sentences my own impression.
Nokta first.
They come in luxury package, i was impressed. Very nice designed carrying case with belt. Several addons etc.
Performing: alright! Very useful. Better than many other older models that i have seen so far. Good choice.
...
F-Pulse.
Comparing to Nokta's package and what's coming in it along with pinpointer; this is more modest offer. No addons. Only pinpointer in package with neat belt holster.
BUT!
Performances are IMPRESSIVE!
Also the "one-button-do-all-the-adjustments" (weird abbreviation instantly made by me here) is very likable approach, i like it indeed.
The best pinpointer i have seen so far was XP MI-6. And i thought it is far far above any competition (considering how many fine options are implemented there).
But if we cut down only to raw performances... i am not sure now how to compare XP MI-6 with F-Pulse.
At the moment i don't have XP MI-6 here to compare and to be sure; but i have impression that F-Pulse is dangerously close... if not even better than MI-6 in raw performances.
Very very satisfied with what i see at it and therefore i decided to keep it for good.

[dbanner]

Good report, iv, honest and straight to the point. Hence pinpointer.

[ivconic]

Let me refresh the topic a bit. I don't have much new to say though.
I see the date on the first post... "2021" !?? Has it really been that long!
In the meantime, a couple of things happened.
A couple of friends from my place bought some good detectors and got some good pinpointers with them.
In the company we now have 2x MI6, 4-5x MI4 and a couple of ML.
Society now has conditions for living on a high footing!
Because for a place of 6-7000 inhabitants (like my place) this is a huge concentration of top equipment!
I don't remember times like this!
There are already more than 3-4 XP Deus 2 models, more than 2-3 ML Equinox models, a dozen XP ORX and Deus 1 models!
Today I am the "poorest" equipped detectorist in my place!
But... speaking of pinpointers... F-Pulse has stood the test of time and today I have definitely the best pinpointer in the company (and probably in the world).
Why am I writing so long? Times are changing. It's not like it was before.
In the meantime, I had the opportunity to test and compare all the top pinpointers on real terrain in real and harsh conditions.
In short; F-Pulse has no competition to this day!
There is no more dilemma. It beat everyone else to a pulp.
Now I can freely declare without any risk: F-Pulse is the best pinpointer in history!
MI4 and Mi6 are right behind. They are extraordinary, of course. But some small details decide here.
The strange thing is that you can't get F-Pulse anywhere in the area!??
Serbia is surrounded by countries that have legal and regular representatives of md equipment.
But you can't find F-Pulse anywhere!???
The closest store is in Sofia, Bulgaria, where Tek-Point is occasionally available.
I think I read somewhere before that F-Pulse and Tek-Point are identical.
One and the same machine. That's good information to start with, as long as it's accurate.
Did you know that the creator of the F-Pulse is our forum friend Carl?
Carl seems to be a rarely humble man, because he didn't emphasize this fact anywhere?
I take this opportunity to emphasize this. If you have a chance to get F-Pulse; don't hesitate!
But this post is also a kind of "criticism" due to the fact that F-Pulse is not easy to find in stores.
...
I am "known" for changing equipment very quickly and en masse.
In my long "career" as a detectorist, there are only two devices that have stayed with me and that I will never part with: XP Deus 1 and F-Pulse.
In moments of greatest poverty and great expenses and debts; I've always been forced to reluctantly sell equipment I've come across with difficulty.
But the mentioned two devices were never in question... and never will be.
Although this is a highly commercial product, we certainly cannot expect full disclosure from the author.
But I would like to hear the story of this pinpointer.
Even though I've had it and used it since 2021, I've never thought for a second to open it and see what's inside. Because this pinpointer has added significant quality to my field expeditions.
For the simple reason that I'm afraid of breaking something. And it is not easy to find and buy again.
Carl, if you're reading this, when you have time; write some interesting trivia about the development of this remarkable pinpointer.

[Carl-NC]

I think the problem is that First Texas has fallen far behind in regular metal detectors, and if dealers are not ordering our detectors then they won't order our pinpointer, either. I expect that whatever detectors they carry (Minelab, XP, Nokta) those are the pinpointers they also carry.

[MartinB]

Hi Carl, A little off subject but the trade restrictions imposed by various governments and sometimes the protectionism of companies themselves impede the sales of goods to various countries. For example, I could purchase a competitively priced Fisher coil via the internet from an American dealer, but the dealer can only sell within the US and is prohibited from posting the coil to the UK. There are legitimate ways around this, but it is additional hassle

[ivconic]

Yes, I have noticed that it is common practice now to offer detectors complete with accessories, a couple of coils, a backapack, various chargers, a pinpointer, headphones... whatnot.
Maybe this is a "requirement" that manufacturers place on local dealers?
I think pinpointers should be put in a separate category.
I think FTP should offer Tek-Point and F-Pulse as a separate independent product to other dealers.
Regarding local state laws and regulations; I think that pinpointers go "under the radar" even under the strictest customs regulations much more easily.
Serbian local ads are crowded with cheap (very bad, unusable) Chinese pointers.
Most hobbyists are absolute laymen who don't know any better. Most think that's it.
Having such a pinpointer is worse than not having any. (Just like having a Magnum 357 in your pocket and not having a single bullet!)
Here I am talking about rare expensive coins from ancient periods. One silver denarius can be worth 10, 50 ... 5000 euros!
When you hit such a denarius recklessly, scratch it... 5000 euros are instantly converted into... 1 euro!
I will forever remember the trauma of a very valuable antique ring, which I could have sold for 800-1000 euros; in a fraction of a second turned into a "find" of 5-10 euros!
Then I used Minelab Explorer SE and I found that ring at an incredible depth of 45-50cm.
The hole was very conical. I didn't have a pinpointer. Guess the rest yourself...

[ivconic]

Then again... I can give you another example.
About a month to a month and a half ago I went out randomly to some meadows with the Vanquish 340.
Nothing anywhere.
And suddenly in one place I get a wide vague and suspicious signal.
What is more interesting; a colleague with Deus 2 comes and gets a worse and unclear signal!
My colleague went on and I stayed to examine the place further.
On an area of 40x40 cm, I start to extract very small Roman coins.
Poor quality, very small and each one gives an almost insignificant signal with a very low VDI.
It is not dug in most cases.
The coins are so thin and have turned the color of the earth. The detector barely gives any response to an individual coin.
At the end of the day I got out 146 coins!!! But without the pinpointer I don't think I would have found more than 10.
Vanquihsh only served to locate the place. The rest of the work was done only by the pinpointer.

[Carl-NC]

Yes, I have noticed that it is common practice now to offer detectors complete with accessories, a couple of coils, a backapack, various chargers, a pinpointer, headphones... whatnot.
Maybe this is a "requirement" that manufacturers place on local dealers?
I think pinpointers should be put in a separate category.
I think FTP should offer Tek-Point and F-Pulse as a separate independent product to other dealers.

Sometimes manufacturers offer package deals like that, but often it's the dealer who does it. Manufacturers have a MAP price that all dealers must obey, and if they only sell the metal detector then all dealers will have the same detector for the same price. So some dealers add "goodies," usually crap-quality stuff from China.

Any of these dealers can order FTP pinpointers if they want to.

[ivconic]

... So some dealers add "goodies," usually crap-quality stuff from China....

Oh yes! It is a common and visible practice.
There are a few legal and regular distributors of MD equipment in Serbia.
The most famous of them is a man I know, you could say we are friends.
On one occasion, I suggested that he pay attention to F-Pulse and Tek-Point.
He said that there is much more interest in cooperation with Turkish and Bulgarian producers.
Apart from them, he also offers XP products and, to my surprise, he also has a couple of Quest models (older and cheaper ones).
In the meantime, months, maybe year, have passed since we haven't heard from each other.
I see that he has not changed anything in his offer.
It seems that he is guided by what "public opinion" in the local market is looking for.
I personally do not agree with such an assortment. But who am I to judge that!?
As for "public opinion"... 90% of people here do not have enough knowledge and understanding, they are pliable, they believe too much aggressive advertisements from the "east side".
This can also be understood as a lack of activity from the "western side".
Today, the market is oversaturated with those products. Therefore, additional and "aggressive" actions are needed and necessary.
Today there are no more "big ones" (except for ML, although I don't believe that they are too happy today either).
Today, there are also no "small and unimportant" markets.
Some companies behave quite autistically and live in the past.
You don't offer or sell refrigerators and freezers to Eskimos, you don't sell heaters and radiators to Africans.
You sell goods where you have a sane basis to believe that these goods will be well received and sold.
From Italy on the west to the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in the east and North Africa in the south... once stretched the mighty Roman Empire.
It is the most potent possible market on the planet for goods such as metal detectors and related equipment.
For several decades, overbearing "Western" manufacturers were completely blind to these facts.
That's why it all came back to them like a boomerang.
How many of them exist today?

[ivconic]

Another thing is hard to find in Serbia; Minelab detectors!! Hard to believe!
Although there are plenty of Minelab detectors already purchased and in use.
But there is no way to buy them in local stores.
People go to Sofia, Bulgaria, from there they bring Minelab detectors. A smaller number comes from the EU.
Equinox and especially Vanquish models are a real "revelation" among people.
I know at least 10 people who would like to buy one of the Vanquish models but have no way of getting it.
Vanquish models are in the center of interest because they are relatively cheap and offer many things for that price.
I think there are no more than 3-4 Vanquish models in all of Serbia. They were all bought in Bulgaria and sold here at a higher price.
I had a lot of trouble getting the 340 model.
I still keep it and try to keep it, so that the harsh circumstances of life don't force me to sell it.
My first few outings on real terrain showed me that this is a fantastic machine for these local soils.
And I told the news among the people. So now there are a lot of them who would be happy to buy those models.
But the "import" from Bulgaria adds to the price. I think ML would do a good job if they opened their dealership here.
Because the price of the Vanquish models fits the budget of most.