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We Need A New Pinpointer Design


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It only makes sense to copy success. Garrett scored a home run with the original Garrett pinpointer, and now everyone is falling all over themselves trying to cash in on Garrett's success.

I have used a lot of them and at this point it is getting a bit silly. Some are missing the point in that what really makes the Garrett unit great is the simplicity. Some of the new versions are suffering from feature creep, kind of like Microsoft Word and all those functions you really do not need.

The real problem as I see it is I do not need version 20 of the same old thing. How about somebody do something different?

I know what lots of us in PI detecting land want. We want something with far more punch than a regular pinpointer first. Second, iron disc would be great.

When I was in Australia I hit a small nugget at ridiculous depth down into true hardpan. Folks, what once was gravel was now rock. JP was helping me chisel down to it. Finally he went to his truck and got a rare device. Coiltek once made a 3" probe/coil for the SD/GP pulse detectors. Just hook up in place of your main coil or use a switch box. This 3" PI coil packed some real punch and was a real help in finding that nugget.

The problem with the Coiltek probes is they were too cumbersome to really run attached full time to the detector, and so usually were left in a truck or at best carried in a backpack. Then swapped out with the main coil to be used. This means they usually got left behind and were not around when you needed them. And they were brand and model specific. Finally, no discrimination.

Many PI users have worked in tandem with a VLF in trashy areas, marking targets with the PI and then retrieving with the VLF. I have often trudged back to my truck for a VLF when digging an extra deep junk target in tailing piles. A VLF with a small coil and discrimination is a real aid in trashy ground, especially tailing piles. But again this is an unwieldy solution often not available when you need it.

I even went so far as to build mini VLF detectors as shown at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/980-tesoro-silver-umax-pinpointer-conversion/ and http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/1028-fisher-gold-bug-2-pinpointer-conversion/ Even then however these are expensive propositions bulky and with too many features for what I really want. But it shows the need.

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There is a company that could do something almost overnight to address this market - Tesoro. Unfortunately listening to customers is not their strong suite so I have not wasted any time trying to lobby them with this idea, but here it is. The Tesoro Compadre.

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This is a complete single knob VLF detector that sells for ------ $160.00!! That's right folks, less than some of these hand held pinpointers.

Now what it needs is a small 100% plastic pistol grip and a 3" or 4" coil. Yes, they had one of those off the shelf also they could use. All the little coil needs is to run a super short cable up the super short rod and hardwire into the control box. This should make the unit even less expensive but lets be generous - I would still pay $160 to get one. One knob, variable discrimination, single 9V battery. It would look almost identical to my Silver uMax version only no metal in the handle, no exposed cable, and one knob. It would blow away every pinpointer on the market.

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Alternative. That Coiltek 3" coil direct mounted to a PI control box of similar design. No disc but more punch, more ability to ignore ground.

That's my ideas. What do you want? Be realistic - asking a Garrett Pinpointer to have the depth of a 3" coil will not happen.

What do you think we need still in the pinpointer market? If you have a pinpointer, what do you like about it? What do you not like about it?

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Having seen your recent posts on this subject, I am planning to do this to my Gold Bug Pro with the little 5 inch round coil - just remove the center rod and make it as short as possible without too much in the way of modifications. It wont be as short as your previous examples, but it will still fit easily into a backpack and its light weight. It should punch deeper, discriminate about as well as any currently on the market and see pretty much any small target my SDC or GPZ will see (once the target is close enough to the coil). The GB Pro is a little pricey to do this to, but if you already own one as I do, there is no added cost and I can always re-install the middle rod and turn it back into the detector it was originally designed to be.

My goal would be to achieve some level of discrimination in using the SDC and GPZ as much or more than the ability to pinpoint.

I do think the complex response of the GPZ has slowed some experienced prospectors down in the time it takes them dig and recover a target and for some, pinpointers are the answer.

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Fisher used to make a 3" round coil for the original GB, it would work great. I think I still have the coil but not the detector.

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Twice now I've lost small nuggets in the pile using the GPZ.  I've used the 2300 to find them. A small powerful pinpointer like you have described would work great. Or I could just dig bigger nuggets like Klunker told me  :) .

 

strick

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I am on my 3rd black Garrett.  The other two were lost and my wife now uses the 3rd one.

 

I've bought a couple of used detectors and they came with pinpointers.  One is that long pistol thing with sensitive tuner.  Not something I will use.  The other pointer is a Minelab.

 

I've been waiting for a long time to say that the Minelab pinpointer is the worst product that Minelab makes.  The sound and vibrations are much too weak when you are wearing headphones out on the beach.  (My wife can't hear it either!)  I also broke the cap when putting a Duracell in it.

 

What did I buy to replace it?  I bought the waterproof orange Garrett and it is great.  It has three different levels of sound/vibration or vibration only and it is all controlled by one button.  Simple to use, effective (except in a wet, salty hole with a big object) and it saves me a lot of time.

 

I don't know what it does on nuggets yet ... or meteorites but it is an upgrade from the black one.

 

Mitchel

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Great idea for $160 Steve , I have the Garrett ATX so it does have discrimination kinda when using stk coil, mono no discrimination [ Dig All Anyway ]. Great idea if you do not need discrimination Steve , Reno Chris idea is good also if you have a GB and need discrimination with your PI. Maybe we could give Nokia/Makro a call & they could whip one up in a smaller package, with your input Steve. Wonder if you could [ business opportunity for someone ] make your idea Steve and sell it :tesoro: and not get your butt in trouble? Later on :ph34r:

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I have a garret pro pointer, but have found is ok for the .5 gram and up but not for the specks the GPZ is detecting. Steves adaption of the GB2 is along the line of what I feel is needed, the sensitivity at its high frequency makes it so. For my use I have no need for discrimination. The size and shape of the pro pointer would be ideal if it had the ability of the GB2.

I guess for the manfactures how do they do that plus handle the ground. Maybe a high freq Deus like pin pointer, look how small and lightweight their detector is they incorporate in the coil, with a wireless receiver on other shoulder.

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Maybe I better go ahead and get the Compadre I saw for $110 shipped  with 5 inch coil?

I used to have a Silver Umax with a 4 inch coil and had it like Steves setup,and used it for  for getting coins around parking meters.I could just lay on the grass and poke around each parking meter for the loose money on the ground.  A short cable and plastic rod would be a BIG plus tho for nugget pinpointing.

 

VibraProbe had a mini waterproof Pulse detector years ago with a 3 inch round coil permanently attached. But I seem to recall it had poor depth,maybe 2 inch on a quarter and NO discrimination.

 

-Tom

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