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Need Pin Pointer Advice


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Not harsh , it was not my intention anyway … I just wanted to explain how I use my pinpointer, no more than this ..

Concerning the pinpointer attachment for sure if I do not attach it I will loose it , so no real choice … 

Expense yes you are right it can be a problem for newcomers , but on the other hand the coin that I dug last day (without damage because of the pinpointer )  is worth around 90euros , it is the the  price of a second hand high quality pinpointer , so even for a newcomer it is a good investment  I think…  But not mandatory of course , just without a pinpointer you have more risks to damage valuable targets ..

The beep you are right , hopefully when switching on the profind 35 there is just a discrete white LED activated , no beep , so its ergonomy is perfect for me, I did not need to program or modify anything with it , they made a good job at ML 🙂 ....

 

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Lots of good replies so far.  Most of them I agree with (the dry land ones, that is -- I don't do water recovery much so can't confirm/deny those comments).

I have a unique(?) dig and recovery method which I wouldn't push on anyone, but it works for me.  I carry a lot of equipment when coin hunting.  (Not as much when nugget hunting, for multiple reasons.)  That means *two* pinpoints, two metal digging tools, two plastic digging tools, a spray bottle, a trash and treasure pouch, and a plastic gold pan!  Yes, I look like a loaded down burro typically pictured next to the grizzled prospector you see in old paintings.

Since this thread is specifically about hand-help pinpointers, I emphasize there are two types in regard to angular sensitivity -- most pinpointers (including the Garrett Carrot) have a broad sensitive 'spray' pattern, even as sensitive to the side as directly straight in line off the tip.  Think of a tennis ball pattern.  The White's TRX is more sensitive directly in front tip (down the axis).  Think of a saber or dagger.  This difference can be significant which is why I carry and use two.  If for whatever reason my initial pinpointing methods missed the target, if its to the side of the hole the Carrot will pick that up much better than the TRX, but the TRX has two advantages -- mentioned below.  I keep the Carrot on max sensitvity.  The TRX can be either max or one down from max.  (My main complaint of the TRX is how complicated and obscure the method of adjusting the sensitivity is.)

As others have emphasized, a pinpointer helps a lot in avoiding damaging a find.  My procedure is the following:

1) detect a promising target with the detector;

2) use the angle-of-attack method for an initial locating method;

3) use the detector's pinpointing feature to narrow down its location, estimate its size/extent (and if this disagrees with -2- above, go with -2-);

4) (assuming I still want to recover,) with tip of Garrett Carrot straight down, survey the area (say about a 6 inch circular spot) around the previously determined location to see if the target is shallow -- i.e. if the Carrot sounds off; (some people slide the Carrot around the ground laying it down since the side of the unit about 1 inch from the tip is more sensitive, so that's an alternate method);

5a) if shallow, push the Lesche hand-held into the ground about 2-3 inches from the location and lever open the sod/ground;

5b) if the Carrot didn't signal in -4-, cut and remove a plug about 6-8 inch diameter centered on the location from -2- and -3- above;

6) put the Carrot in the hole and listen to the audio response, if loud and solid you're close; if just putt-puttering it may be simply ground noise (and also if silent) so just keep digging;

7) When I reach a point where the Carrot's sound indicates it has clearly found a target, switch to using the TRX.  To emphasize what I said earlier, the Carrot gets me in the general location and the TRX fine tunes that location.  Further, the proportional audio on the TRX is fantastic for telling me how much deeper I need to go.  This is extremely valuable for avoiding hitting the target with the metal digging tool;

-8) Loosen the ground *around* the target with Lesche, but avoid poking the Lesche into the sweetspot (where the target is located);

9) Use a plastic scoop to removed the dirt -- around the target with hopefully the target within it.  Think of a raisin in a bowl of cereal -- remove a large spoonful of cereal with the raisin in the center, not touching the spoon.

10) Poke the TRX around and into the scoop of dirt to determine if you've recovered it.  If so, empty the into the gold pan and use the pinpointer for further locate.  If the TRX has trouble easily locating the target after dumping the scoop in the pan then it's likely small (BB or a bit bigger) and swapping back to the Carrot with it's broad angle sensitivity will likely be quicker from here.

Do I go overboard in my attempt to avoid nicking the target?  Maybe for some, but everyone has his/her thresholds and mine may be more stringent than yours.  (There's a very valuable coin waiting out there somewhere with my name on it and I'll be devastated if I trash it during recovery.)  In addition to the Lesche I carry a 1 inch wide aluminum garden digger (probably inteneded for planting seeds) to work around the tree roots.  My rule of thumb is that if a root (in a park or schoolyard, anyway) is larger in diameter than ~1/8 inch (~3 mm) I do my best not to damage it.

Another advantage of the gold pan is that as I've put the dug dirt (except the plug and any large rocks) in it throughout the recovery process, when I'm ready to refill the hole I just dump the dirt back in before replacing the plug.  But it's especially nice (including when nugget detecting) in making sure that I've captured the target in a confined location rather than having to search around on the ground when it's slipped past my initial locating steps.

Long winded, as usual, and more detailed than the initial post warranted.  But when it comes to pinpointers, they aren't all the same and my double-fisted approach emphasizes some of the differences.

 

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Hi   Simon ,At a spot abut 40' from where we  were finding gold.I took the detector and got a hit in the solid bedrock. It sounded  like a regular  size splitshot  for   fishing  but they  don't fish here.I don't  think it was under  the  bedrock but in it.Do you find gold in the solid bedrock and how deep does your pinpointer  get a half gram piece.They do hunt  here  so I wonder if It is  22 slug that some  way found it's way under the  rock.My friend    says he can' find the signal anymore but he  might not be looking in  the  right spot.I should go back  one day and check again but it is far.

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  • 3 years later...

  My rant was more in jest. But really what would you do if you forgot your PP at home?  How much effort do you put into a accurate detector PP?   Seriously we used to be able to get very close.  I guess we just didn't want to dig so much to recover the target.  That's where the screw driver came in.  Granted when I finally got a PP'er after 30 years not having one I was happy with it right from the start.  I just never used it to dig with.  I never have used a shovel because I can PP close enough to just use a trowel.  It's got to be one heck of a pain carrying a shovel. 

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Ok, I'll throw my 1 1/2 cents into the pot. Having been an early detectorist before pin pointers, where we had to wave handfuls of dirt over the coil, I find I can't live without one now, even at the beach. I have 4 different ones. Currently, I like the Mi6 from XP the best. Rechargeable, so not batteries to buy, the charge last for many hunts, compact, comes with a lanyard, and will pair with your Deus should you have one. I have my previous favorite, the White's TRX as a backup. I also have the VibraProbe, which was my waterproof pin pointer before everybody made one. I wore the tip of that down to where I could see wiring. I just dipped that tip in some two part epoxy and it hasn't worn down since. My only problem with the VP is that it's a bit clunky, by that, I mean it's not real ergonomic. Kinda long in today's world, and the shaft diameter is quite big too. It's built very well and works great though and is fairly unique in that it has a mercury (or more environmentally friendly equivalent) switch, where you just turn the tip down to turn it on, and tip it up to turn it off....no switch, sound, or adjustments....just vibration. When you have something falling through your scoop, or, you're detecting in wet sand or mud, a pin pointer can be a real time saver. Shallow targets in turf saves a lot of plugging too.

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On 6/10/2020 at 11:48 AM, ragebot said:

I know the carrot is highly thought of but I have seen some heavy users say the tip can wear and expose things.  I am looking at the Pulse Two in One and like what I see including what seems to be a better protected tip.  Another option is the Quest Scuba Tector again with additional tip protection.  Problem is both are kinda new and I have seen some bashing, especially on the Quest.  The thing is no matter how many whistles and bells something has it's basic function has to work or nothing else matters.  I am not wed to any of these three choices; just the ones that my research has turned up so far.  Any advice welcome.


This post is from 2020, A lot has changed in 3 years.. My Pulse Dive hasn’t.. It is still in one piece and it’s still gong fine. The only (gripe?) I may have is that, due to its multi purpose design, it’s a bit more substantial than the other options... It has worked flawlessly since day one and it has done its job solidly whenever called upon. I have found some uses for it outside of my normal routine and Had I had a more basic  Pin-Pointer, I would have missed out on a few Adventures and Prizes. I’m certainly happy with my Pulse Dive. I am planning to get a smaller, “Second” Pin-Pointer though, the smallest, decent one that I can find for everyday carrying. I usually use the “scoop over coil” method in my usual routine but I do find practical use for a P-Pointer and pull it out a few times a day.. I dig my PulseDive and wouldn’t trade it for another. I would/ will buy another if this one ever becomes lost/damaged but I do want a second, smaller Pin-Pointer for everyday use…. 
 

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