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Treasure Mate Pinpointer / Gold Nugget Probe


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Anybody ever hear about this treasure mate pointer? about 180 bucks...
 


The Treasure Mate Pinpointer is a small hand held super sensitive metal detector that can be used for pinpointing coin and relic targets or for gold prospecting. It is very light weighing, only 6 ounces, bet at 16.5 kHz it is sensitive enough to locate very small pieces of placer gold. Comes complete with a deluxe detector / target pouch and belt.

This is the pinpointer that is sensitive enough and equipped with circuitry to deal with harsh ground mineralization so that it can be used for gold prospecting.
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I tried one. The Treasure Mate is actually a miniature 16.5 kHz metal detector. It is made by Tesoro for Jobe Wholesale. It is designed specifically for prospecting and as you can imagine being made by Tesoro it is a quality product. The Treasure Mate is quite sensitive but it has been so long I do not have a grasp on how well it compares to, for instance, the White's TRX. I do know it is bulky. I had same issue with DetectorPro Pistol Probe - it works but it bulkier than I like in a pinpointer. The main thing though is the fact it needed proper tuning for best performance and that was overkill for me as I did not need that level of sensitivity. That is just me though; it may be just what others need.
 
There is a borderline issue with pinpointers and the Treasure Mate and hot pinpointers like the TRX run into it. Just like a hot metal detector, they may get more sensitive to small gold nuggets, but they also get more sensitive to mineralized ground and hot rocks. This in turn means they tend to be a bit squirrely in the field and require finer tuning and more patience from the operator. I think you need to carefully consider what you want the pinpointer to do.
 
For normal park/turf detecting a simple less hot unit may be the better way to go for most people. If you are just coin detecting that is all you need.
 
If having the unit hit a tiny item is important, then look at the hot units, but be aware that in my experience at least there is such a thing as too hot. Hotter deeper has become the battle cry in pinpointer land, but in a lot of cases it seems to me useability is getting lost in the process. My personal solution has been to do what I do with detectors, and that is to own more than one. I have a lower sensitivity unit I use most of the time just because it is simple and stable. And then a hotter init for use if I need it, like for chasing small jewelry items in a park setting.
 
A pinpointer for me has become essential and I would never detect in an urban setting without one. Nugget detecting not so much but I at least have one in the truck just in case. They are very handy but like boots you need ones that fits you.
 
In its day the big selling point with the Treasure Mate was the sensitivity and I do wonder now how it stacks up against the much more handy White's TRX.

 

2010 thread with reviews at Link deleted since Findmall Forum update broke all old links

 

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FREQUENCY: 16.5khz
COIL: 3/8″ coax
SIGNAL: (1)LED and Speaker (2) LED and Vibrator
SETTINGS: Ground Balance and Tuning Controls
BATTERY: 9 Volt
BATTERY LIFE: 30~50 Hours
WEIGHT: 6 Ounces
TEMPERATURE RANGE: 30~100 Degrees F
HUMIDITY: 0~70%
MODE: All Metal, Variable Range Tuning
WARRANTY: Limited Lifetime Warranty

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TREASURE MATE

Thank you for choosing the Treasure Mate for your pinpointing and prospecting tool. These instructions will help you get started on the right path. With any type of electronic device, there is a learning curve. The Treasure Mate has a simple learning curve for coin hunting. The Ground Balance knob (GB) and Tuning knob (TUNE) should be turned to the far left. Air balancing or ground balancing to the ground will find deeper and smaller targets.

BATTERY INSTALLATION

Install the one 9-volt battery to the battery lead. You need to make a decision here if you want to hunt with the LED light and speaker or the LED light and vibrator mode before you secure the battery door, because the selector switch is inside the battery compartment. At this time you flip the switch to your preferred mode! Finish installing the battery door by tightening the screws snug but not too tight. The battery door is located in the kit. There are 4 spare screws for the battery door that are provided in your Treasure Mate kit.

GETTING STARTED

The Treasure Mate has 3 controls. One Ground Balance knob (GB) one Tuning knob (TUNE) and an ON/OFF switch. The ON/OFF switch is a rocker switch with a red dot. When the red dot is down, the Treasure Mate is on. The GB knob is like any detector that has the capability of adjusting to the minerals in the ground. Balancing to the ground will set it up for the smaller targets. To air balance you turn the GB knob and TUNE knob towards the "+" (plus) sign then, back off towards the "-" (minus) sign until the Treasure Mate becomes stable. That's all! Air balancing is all that is needed for coin and relic hunting. Ground balancing to the ground by pumping it and adjust so it beeps or vibrates just slightly towards the ground. The tuning knob is for outside interference. Turning the TUNE knob towards the "+" sign will cause the Treasure Mate to beep or vibrate and backing off the knob towards the "-" until the Treasure Mate is stable.

PROSPECTING MODE

The Treasure Mate was designed to probe small gold nuggets. The GB and TUNE knobs will be beneficial in balancing the Treasure Mate to the minerals in the dirt. Ground balancing is a must for locating small pieces of gold. The Treasure Mate can be used in your gold pan and in black sand. This probe will be ideal for prospecting cracks in bedrock, locating veins in mines and to help locate your nuggets in dirt after detecting your nugget target with your primary detector. It also can detect other minerals in rocks.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The probe is waterproof up to but not including the knobs. The Treasure Mate can handle pushing and probing in loose dirt. The placement of the GB, TUNE and ON/OFF knobs are in easy reach with one hand operation. If the Treasure Mate is not to be used over a long period of time it is best to- remove the battery.

 

LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY (check address below for latest information before purchasing)

The vibrator motor and speaker come under the limited warranty. These two parts have a limit to their life and a small charge of $9.95 will cover their replacement. All other repairs will be covered by Tesoro Electronics, Inc. and Treasure West. This product is warranted by Tesoro Electronics, Inc. and Treasure West to be free of defects for the life of the original purchaser, excluding the vibrator motor and speaker.
If repair is needed, purchaser will pay shipping to:

 

Tesoro Electronics, Inc., 715 White Spar Rd., Prescott, AZ 86303

 

Enclose a written explanation of the problem along with your name, address and daytime phone number. This warranty does not cover negligence on your part, battery leakage or using probe for a pry tool.

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It looks to me like the Treasure Mate uses a similar circuit to the Falcon MD-10 and MD-20; but, at a lower frequency.

In other words, kind of a pain to tune before you use it.

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