Hello R-n-R,
I recently purchased a used Impulse with an 8" searchcoil. I took it to a Massachusetts beach yesterday and worked on the sand at the low water line. During the hour and a half that I detected, I found a small silver ring, a nickel, and a fishing swivel. I didn't go home rich... but at least I found that the detector worked.
What do I like about the Impulse...
I like the balance & strong Fisher construction that gives the user the ability to hipmount the unit or use it as a one-piece detector.
Its ability to be able to pin-point an object without having to continuously sweep the coil.
The detectors strong volume.
The continuously visible battery condition indicator and the fact that it can get up to 100 hours on one set of user replaceable AA alkaline batteries.
My overall favorite feature of the Impulse is its extremely fast signal response to buried items that allows me to detect with a quicker coil swing.
What do I think some of the drawbacks are of this detector...
The fact that it has to be manually tune it more often than a detector with auto-tune. (I do not think it has to be tuned as frequently as one is led to believe.)
The Impulse does not have "user interchangable" searchcoils.
It cannot be fine tuned to a particular metal.
The fact that this detector "does not" detect the deepest of all the P.I. detectors, it does detect deep enough for my liking.
What would I want in "my perfect" P.I. detector...
One built in a housing like the Impulse, with rapid target response, zero motion pin-point, the stablility and depth of a Barracuda, the ability to adjust frequencies like the CS-7, that operates on user replacable AA batteries and will provide the user with up to 100 hours on one set of batteries, and have interchangable Fisher spider-style searchcoils.
I hope my opinion provided some useful information for you.
Safe Hunting, Rick (MA)