Search the Community

I still have the first and only pinpointer I ever bought. A black Garrett ProPointer that still seems to work as well as it ever did. My question is whether I should upgrade or just keep using it, and if yes then what to get? I like to hunt fresh drops in turf with just a pinpointer and screwdriver for recovery tools. I intend to spend more time doing that this year and wonder if a more sensitive/stronger/better pinpointer might get me a better recovery rate. Currently I do not know what it does not find, and whether or not something else would be better. I know very little about pinpointers, have never used them much. Of course that is why one has lasted me so long. Searching the web, and even this forum, reveals a lot of different options and opinions. It would be nice to find one immune to emi and bad ground and hit small gold at over an inch. Sensitivity to small is the most important thing, checking some of my finds it seems apparent that my current pinpointer needs to be almost touching some of the really small things to indicate. That may be as well as any of them do for all I know. Anyone have thoughts?

After 5 trouble free years my original Garret Pro-pointer II (the black one) finally stopped working properly. I replaced it with an AT Pro-pointer (the orange one). I like it but the battery life is not as good. The factory installed battery was not alkaline so I wasn’t surprised when that died quickly. I replaced it with a fresh alkaline and it died in about a month. Has anyone else noticed poor battery life on the AT Pro-Pointer? Joe Garrett Pro-Pointer II Pinpointer for Metal Detectors Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Pinpointer for Metal Detectors

Hey all, When researching pinpointers, I watch these folks doing air tests with the ruler laid out in front of it and they move the target toward the the tip by hand to get a distance reading. Now, your DD detector coils, and probably others, will detect the minerals in your hand/skin. Won't the pinpointers? Or is it not enough to throw off the reading of a target in these air tests done by hand?

Published on Jun 5, 2018 By Fisher Metal Detectors

I have a Garrett carrot and I have noticed in some videos that people using them turn them on while touching the turf or sand before using them to find their target. I know why this is done, but is it really necessary? I was wondering how many of you, on this forum, do this?

I need a pointer and frankly I don't want to make a mistake this costly, or waste any more time than I have already digging without one. I'm hoping someone here has tried a few with their Equinox and can suggest a good tool to pair with it. I blow serious time in holes right now and it's all the color of shaded dirt. Can anyone suggest which pointers they have used with their Equinox 800 that they know don't cause the Equinox any trouble. I really like the Nox but I know she's sensitive. That is unless you tell me none are an issue with this detector. I will need a water safe unit I'm sure this question has been asked that I haven't found besides those presenting pointer comparisons. Those are helpful, but I'm looking for Nox 800 specific pairing here. Would love a few opinions to help me decide. Thank you in advance for your short or long tales or experience.

Found this item on Amazon. It might be good for dunking sub-IP68 pinpointers, or as an added level of protection to IP68s. I'm going to buy one just for the heck of it. What do you guys think?

Hi fellow detectorists! I am completely a novice to Metal detecting. This is my current setup: Minelab Equinox 600 and a trenching shovel from Home Depot. After roughly 15 hours of use without a pin pointer, I have come to the conclusion I NEED A PIN POINTER. As of today 17APR18 I purchased the FISHER F-PULSE and was curious present day, how those of you that use this pin pointer how it’s function is to a newbie like myself. I have have read several forum discussions by Steve, calcobra, geotech and many more. Thank you all for your indirect quantifiable background experience that has helped me immensely! Sorry for this long post I just know you all are the subject matter experts when it comes to this new hobby I’ve ventured into. Oh by the way, I’m looking for fellow metal detectorists in the NC area. Thank you all????

has any one air test the scuba tector on large objects ????? i like to know it max range ......i seen its worthless on very small targets ....whats it range on a helmet , rifle , truck size object ....the targets i look for are 12 to 24 inches deep could the scuba tector in wet sand go this deep ??? or does it max out at 12" am guessing 2.5x the coil size like other pi detectors do ....

Have seen several reviews of the Jeemak pointer but am not sure about authenticity of the reviewers. Normally if something is this cheap it rings alarm bells. Has anyone got one, are they any good? Would be interested to see if anyone has any experience of them, thanks in advance.

Hi, am looking to purchase a good pinpointer to use with my Equinox 800. Talked to the sales guy at the shop where I purchased the detector and enquired about getting either a Garrett pro or the latest Nokta. The sales guy would only recommend that I get a Minelab pro find 35 as the others would interfere with the detector meaning that I would have to switch it off if I wanted to use the pointer. Has anyone had these sort of problems or was it just a creative salesman ?, any thoughts would be helpful, thanks

Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk Instructional Video - Basic features and functions of the fully wireless Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk pinpointer are demonstrated. Sections include: wireless syncing; a tip on factory reset; adjusting detection and sensitivity settings; lost pinpointer alarm; retuning the Pro-Pointer to find targets faster or to overcome environmental challenges; battery replacement; and general care. Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk Owner's Manual More Information On Garrett Z-Lynk Wireless Audio Options

Detected an unexplored alpine area last night using only my pinpointer; a mountainous area close to home, hiked in and detected above the tree line. Skies were cloudy with darker clouds moving in but no thunderstorms. No overhead nor underground electrical wires in the area. No antennas anywhere nor engines nor even a road within 2 miles. And no cell phone on me (cell phone and satellite phone was in my backpack, which was about 40 feet from me at the time. Not likely any military jets/ aircraft in range either (those do fly over but no jet noise was heard all evening). So why the detector acted as it did perplexes me and kind of alarms me too if honest about it. I wonder if the detector detected electricity in the skies? Is that possible? I searched online but the info is too generic. When skies got darker off to the west is when the detector went absolutely nuts. As if I'd walked into a vault with metal on all sides of me. Was doing great for about 2 hours, no issues at all other than coming across signs of grizzly activity. Then something very odd happened. My Garrett Pro-Pointer AT started going crazy -- I was kneeling on wet tundra moss, with my gloved hand (neoprene material) in frigid cold glacial runoff, detecting on submerged quartz veins and getting a signal, a definitive hit type alarm. Then, under 20 seconds later the signal was lost. I stood up and when I did so, holding the detector out from my waist, with an extended arm, pointed at nothing other than the hillside opposite of me across the tiny creek, the pinpointer began sounding nonstop, I mean nonstop yet nothing 3 feet in every direction. I powered it down then turned it back on. Same thing. I tried to remedy it via button presses to reset it but still same crazy nonstop alarming and so, looking up at the skies it provoked some concern as to perhaps my detector detecting conductivity in the skies overhead, which at that high elevation (4500 ft) meant I was a lightning rod, and so I headed back. Without stopping to check the pinpointer along the route. Back at the truck I turned it on and it was behaving normally again. The nonstop crazy wild beeping was gone. I tested it on the controls (nonmetallic items then metallic items) at the truck and it behaved fine/ normally as it was prior to that incident. Am totally at a loss as to what happened and why. Does anyone have any clue or idea even as to what this may have been due to? In the event other details are needed, clouds pretty much blanketed the skies in all directions; darker clouds to the west were perhaps just 2 to 5 miles distance. Lighter to grayish clouds overhead and in other directions. No wires/ human developments of any kind for at least 15 miles to the south and 40 miles to the west and nothing but alpine wilderness the other two directions for thousands of miles. No highway just a rough gravel road so no engines nor CB radios within however many miles. I'd dunked my boots earlier so was barefoot at the time and had no metal on me nor anywhere near me, the digging shovel was about 8 feet from me. Just me and the glacial water and the mountains.

I can't recommend this product. I'm on my second one already, because the first one won't stay paired. Now my replacement won't stay paired either. It sometimes pairs, but then drops in and out as you're recovering the target. It's very annoying. I guess I'll be returning this one and going on to a third hoping it works as it should. Oh, I'm also on my 4th WT-1 transmitter as they keep dying on me. My third replacement lasted about a week. And when I had my ATMax, I had to return the coil because it was defective. What's going on at Garrett these days? Do they have a quality control department? Good thing Garrett service is excellent because I sure do need it a lot. Dan

I received the 35 barely used from a member here at a great price. On arrival, I tested it against my Garrett Carrot, and find it much easier to use, with better adjustment ease, as well as being capable of deeper activation on coins. The non-ferrous capability is phenomenal, and it is designed not to affect your detector while riding on your belt. Speaking of belts...the one thing I really DON'T like is the very narrow and tight belt loop on the holster. I would have much preferred the Molle-capable snap and velcro style of the Garrett. Someone wasn't thinking at Minelab. It won't fit on any wide belt. I may have it modified with a velcro fold-over and snap. All in all, a fantastic new Pinpointer, and I think my Garrett will end up in my son's or wife's MD equipment...at least for now!

Thinking about using PlastiDip for protecting the tip of my pinpointers and extending their life. Anyone tried that? Looking for experience and views. Cheers

This is my first post after lurking for many months. Steve, you have a way with words and a level of civility that verges on saintly. I have learned a great deal reading your posts, specifically about the Equinox, and I hope to glean more from this excellent forum in the future. Thanks to others who also contribute excellent content. While I don't have much to share, I thought I would at least post a "tip" for a common problem we have. Here is a link to a video describing a way to keep the Garrett Carrot's tip from wearing through for not much money.

detectingMO Published on Feb 25, 2017 Quick run through of MI-6 pointer setup and integration with the Deus Metal Detector.

I just got my Tek-Point. I've been working with the TRX for the last year or so, so the bar was set pretty high for me. I like a lot of range and that has been the most important factor for me. I've wanted a second pinpointer for a while, and preferably Pulse Induction. I tried everything Garret has to offer and wasn't happy. I was tending toward the Gold Digger Land or Sea for quite a while and still would like to give it a go someday. I liked the 20ft waterproof rating as I'll often use my pinpointer for extended periods under water. Ultimately I couldn't resist the range I was seeing from the Tek/Pulse. In my soil it runs neck and neck with the TRX, with the TRX picking up on items just slightly out of the Teks reach. But when I experiment with higher mineralization levels I have to back the TRX down where the Tek remains stable. I still prefer tip only detection, but the 360 detection comes in handy in plugs that aren't trash mixed with target. I like that it's smaller than the TRX by at least an inch and the LED is capable of far more output than the TRX, which is a huge plus since I like to do night hunts as well. I would say great job. It's easily my first or second favorite, I haven't made up my mind yet, but this pinpointer brought FTP into the top tier for sure. The only things I would like to see from pinpointers in the future is wireless adaptation of the primary machine's disc settings, ability to link up with wireless headphones, and maybe a small LCD on them or ability to send info back to the machine. Many possibilities for the future of these little devices.

From http://www.minelab.com/customer-care/product-notices?article=321022 Minelab PRO-FIND Series Pinpointers PRO-FIND Series Pinpointers assist in accurately locating targets at the point of extraction where a metal detector coil cannot fit. This results in smaller holes, less environmental disruption and faster target recovery time. The PRO-FIND 15 offers essential core pinpointer features and is designed for simplicity and ease of use. The PRO-FIND 35 provides premium level functionality in a fully waterproof design for the serious detectorist. Both models use VLF transmission and incorporate Minelab’s unique Detector Interference Free (DIF) technology. More details are available on the PRO-FIND Series web pages: PRO-FIND 15 PRO-FIND 35 Download the new PRO-FIND Series brochure here. Download the new PRO-FIND Series Getting Started Guide here. Read the Treasure Talk Blog "The new PRO-FIND 35 hits the spot!" by Mark Williams here. More blogs to follow soon. Further product details and product availability will be announced in the coming weeks. Watch the new PRO-FIND Series Introduction video here:

A friend took his Pro Find for a little water detecting for the first time. The trouble started when his pinpointer started acting up but then went dead . At first he was thinking the battery went dead but knew better when water came running out of the battery compartment. He looked the case over good and he could see a hair line crack on one side in the seam . He told me after this happen and looking at it again one could see the seam wasn’t fused good together. I guess you could call a factory defect and wouldn’t been known until maybe never if it didn’t go swimming. Thanks for warranty we get . Chuck

Looking for a Pro-Find 35 in stock...along with a lot of other people! Dealers monitoring this forum could help if you'd post when you have stock! Cheers!

My Garrett Carrot is on the fritz.. random signals, not deep, or it beeps on everything. So its still under warranty and I'm going to send it back, but in the mean time I need another one. I'm not real sure I need a water proof one. I rarely hunt in the pouring down rain. I'm looking for one that is sensitive, simple to use and will last. I have heard the XP version has too many adjustments so that one is out (Even though I have a deus)

Fisher is releasing a new pinpointer for metal detecting, the new Fisher F-Pulse. The name implies it is a pulse induction pinpointer? The screw in plug in the end implies AA batteries and that the unit is probably waterproof, but with no other information to go on right now these are all guesses. No word on price yet either.

Of the Pin Pointers on the market what do consider the best and why?? Thanks Bill