Gold Monster Pinpointer Conversion

[Norvic]

Found the pinpointer is not up to it, gave the Deus a go but it interfered (coil being on seeking RC) with the Z now will the Monster save digging those Z19 holes so big.

 

[strick]

That is a great idea! Which pinpointed are you using? 

strick 

[Andyy]

Funny.  I've seen that done with the GB2 a few times.  Good luck to you.

[Steve Herschbach]

I had to change the title on this thread Norvic. Your setup is so clean and well done I did not want people missing out on it. The GM1000 is a great complement for the GPZ 7000 in several ways and acting as a pinpointing aid is definitely one of them.

[mn90403]

Norvic,

This brings up the whole problem with powerful metal detectors.

This weekend we were sitting around 'testing' the fringe area of the 14Z.  It became obvious that you can sense large objects many feet away from the coil.  When in the field we could sense square nails many inches off of the coil.  And finally we could sense deep and near very small targets and hotrocks that sounded just like gold.  You have to dig it all. 

Now you have a pinpointing problem.  Sensing is only part of the problem with detecting.  Efficient pinpointing saves time and frustrations.

There is a feature on the 3030 that allows the operator to 'zero in' on a target in a hole.  You hold in the pinpoint button and with sound you can center the coil over the target.  I don't know if this is possible with the Z technology.  I expect not.

Maybe Steve can tell us about that.

As good as the pinpointing is on the 3030 it is still sometimes more efficient to use a water proof pointer on the beach.  I've bought several and still find myself just digging a bigger hole and sifting more sand.

Mitchel

[Norvic]

Whoops main PC was down and used the Missus old XP notebook and post ended up repeating, message come up about Silverlight being an old version, sort of scrambled post even more then I usually do.

[Norvic]

Well returned from a mission, nicked of right after posting the Monster pinpointer. I got the idea from Steves VLF detector pinpointer mod  thread a fair while back, and just love the Monster in this profile as well as a VLF detector, its auto GB and auto sensitivity has made it the pinpointer to accompany the Z 19.

Saved me a lot of digging once down to where the Monster was picking up the signal there was no need to widen the hole, put pick away and proceed with a bar. As long as you kept the bottom of hole clean so as to keep the coil of the Monster at even height it excels in this job.(as is the case with all sensitive detectors) Just left it set on all metal and 12 on the sensitivity control. I`ve rarely carried my pinpointer a Whites TRX whilst hunting gold it just did not help enough to bother but the Monster Pinpointer will be hanging off my back pack whenever I swing the Z19, for me tis the way to go.

No drama Steve with the thread name change, much more appropriate and is so easy to do just a piece of broomstick, or PVC water pipe plus easy as to revert to the full stem.

Strick & Mn, I am not knocking the Whites TRX it is a brilliant pinpointer that I always use and will continue to use when shooting coins but its just been Monstered in the gold pinpointer dept.

[1515Art]

Norvic, I love what you did...OK MineLab, we don't need a continuous 3 days of battery in a pinpointer. Take the gm1000, cut the battery time make an even smaller coil and bingo mineLab's next new hot must have accessory for the 7000... drum roll, the Norvic1000, pinpointer delux.

[Norvic]

Thank you 1515, MLs broomstick coil add on made this so easy, illustrated also by SSs "witches" mod. The Monsters ease of use brought about by its auto sensitivity & GB, make it a turn on and go no fiddling detector and that is what pinpointers are and must be. I believe from the use I`ve had with it in the last couple of days, once and if the after market coil manufacturers start producing coils for it, I`ll go with say a 8" round coil for extra depth on it to make it a even better "pinpointer". Goes hand in hand with the Z19, which we know has very poor air depth thus one must have wide Z holes to prove up that "iffy" signal.

The extra weight being compensated by the less wide hole one has to dig, plus of course its capability to be quickly turned into a full size VLF. To clarify something and illustrate why this Monster mod is working for me, the deep gold I am currently getting is under an old mining camp which lays below a worked reef, the old fellows naturally built there camps down on the flats near water holes if possible. The type of soil (black) on this particular flat has allowed the camp rubbish to sink deep brought about by the soil developing deep cracks in the dry then becoming almost a bog in the wet. Thus anything that helps to cut the effort to remove that rubbish is a boon.

To be a bit mischievous, it is ironic that the "dud" Z 19 is being assisted by the "dud" Monster. Please remove this Steve if you feel I am being a bit too mischievous but I`m just a wee peeved with a minorities attitude towards the worlds premium detector manufacturer or to be more general, anyone that has a go in a positive manner.

[Steve Herschbach]

On 8/1/2017 at 10:07 AM, mn90403 said:

There is a feature on the 3030 that allows the operator to 'zero in' on a target in a hole.  You hold in the pinpoint button and with sound you can center the coil over the target.  I don't know if this is possible with the Z technology.  I expect not.

Maybe Steve can tell us about that.

Sorry I did not comment on this earlier.

All metal detectors have a "fringe area" or as I think about it in reverse "items that are at the limits of detection". Weak targets, "iffy" targets, etc. all occur in this region. It's not an arrow straight down but a "rind" surrounding the detection field.

Almost no prospecting detectors feature a pinpoint button, and on detectors that have a pinpoint button I rarely use it. Wave coil over target, maybe from two directions (I rarely do that), eyeball the target, dig. The only time I employ pinpointing aids as a rule, whether it is a button on a detector or a pinpointer, is when digging in groomed lawns.

On most coin detectors the pinpoint button just takes you from discrimination mode to a non-motion all metal mode. Most VLF nugget detectors are already in slow motion all metal mode so all a pinpoint button would do is impose a non-motion which is a minimal difference. Presumably a pinpoint mode could be added to the GPZ or other nugget detectors but the main issue is this is the first time I have heard of anyone wanting it. Without a lot of demand I would not look to see it happening.

Pinpointing is just something that takes practice. I have no problem pinpointing with most detectors. The real problem is not the detector, it's the target. Most good targets center under the coil as the strongest location of the signal. However, elongated targets sitting horizontally, like a long nail, have two signals, one off each end. This can cause an operator to sometimes center on one of the offset end signals and dig a hole that misses the target, which is just off to one side. The only way to avoid this is to be careful to try and note double signals, but items buried at a diagonal can trick you even there. Deep holes with nails or spikes - that is where a pinpointer can be handy while nugget detecting.

Bottom line for me is I never have a problem pinpointing gold nuggets, coins, rings, etc. It is the junk that presents the problem and as soon as I find myself chasing a signal it is almost sure to be junk.