Minelab Pro Find 35 Field Test And Review

[tboykin]

 

[Geotech]

I was wondering why the guy from White's posted a review of the Pro-Find. Now I know.

I've never quite understood why people want a pinpointer that discriminates. When you're detecting and made the decision to dig, you want to extract whatever is in the ground. If it's clearly a good signal and the pinpointer finds iron (esp small iron), you want to pull the iron and re-scan. If it's an iffy signal, then you should already expect that there may be good and bad targets in the same hole. Pinpointing ain't the time to discriminate and, as the video demonstrates, a non-motion pinpointer will never be as competent at target disc as the main detector.

All that said, I will probably eventually design a VLF pinpointer that does target ID. Gotta give the people what they want, even if it makes no sense.

 

[GB_Amateur]

My first (and last) thought while watching the vidio is that he has as faulty unit.  I hope that's the case.

As an side, and this isn't meant to 'bury' the new Minelab pinpointer, but it is possibly another piece of data:  during the first episode of this year's installment of History Channel's Curse of Oak Island (still hate that title...), Gary Drayton is seen using what appears to be the new Minelab 35.  Every episode since that Drayton has been on (and that's quite a few this year), he's shown using a Garrett carrot.  Initially I figured the scenes were shot out of sequence and the first show had videotaped Drayton late in the (northern hemisphere) season, possibly with a prototype.  Or maybe he had a prototype early in the season.

[Steve Herschbach]

11 hours ago, Geotech said:

I've never quite understood why people want a pinpointer that discriminates

A pinpointer with decent sensitivity to small gold plus functional ferrous discrimination would make an awesome standalone tool for working bedrock crevices with a gold pan.

[tboykin]

12 hours ago, Geotech said:

All that said, I will probably eventually design a VLF pinpointer that does target ID. Gotta give the people what they want, even if it makes no sense.

I would be one of the first to buy this product. I think there are some interesting patents on non-motion VLF discrimination.

[Geotech]

4 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

A pinpointer with decent sensitivity to small gold plus functional ferrous discrimination would make an awesome standalone tool for working bedrock crevices with a gold pan.

Steve, how much iron ends up in the bedrock crevices? Is it mostly shards from old logging/dredging cables and the like?

A potential problem with this is that the smaller gold is already right at the threshold of the ferrous/non-ferrous break point, so there is a decent likelihood of a wrong ID, and that goes up if the bedrock includes decent mineralization. My thought remains: if the pinpointer indicates there is something in the crevice, it is probably worth a look.

[Geotech]

3 hours ago, tboykin said:

I would be one of the first to buy this product. I think there are some interesting patents on non-motion VLF discrimination.

As you know, Mark Rowan got a patent on zero-motion disc but it requires 3 frequencies. Probably won't show up in a pinpointer any time soon. Since a PP has to run in static mode, motion disc methods are out, and you are left with old-fashioned TR-disc methods that are prone to have problems. I think that's the issue in the video.

[Steve Herschbach]

29 minutes ago, Geotech said:

Steve, how much iron ends up in the bedrock crevices? Is it mostly shards from old logging/dredging cables and the like?

A potential problem with this is that the smaller gold is already right at the threshold of the ferrous/non-ferrous break point, so there is a decent likelihood of a wrong ID, and that goes up if the bedrock includes decent mineralization. My thought remains: if the pinpointer indicates there is something in the crevice, it is probably worth a look.

Ferrous trash in rivers comes from all sources, but old mining and logging operations is a big one. The trash targets can far outnumber the gold by hundreds to one. I could use a Gold Bug 2 in all metal to dig all that stuff, or I can employ the iron disc to help me sort it out. Yes, there are risks to that but leaving the disc feature off the Gold Bug 2 is not my preferred solution. I want that option and it is up to me to decide when to employ it. The same applies to a pinpointer. A ferrous function should only be employed with care knowing the risks.

I am actually more with you on this than not Carl. I do not need a ferrous function on my pinpointers and it I want a crevicing tool I will use a full blown metal detector. Yet there is a market for such a tool whether or not anyone thinks it is a wise idea. I used to sell plenty of Falcon Gold Probes for crevicing and it is a very finicky and limited tool with no ferrous disc.

[Chase Goldman]

On 1/18/2018 at 11:09 PM, Geotech said:

I was wondering why the guy from White's posted a review of the Pro-Find. Now I know.

I've never quite understood why people want a pinpointer that discriminates. When you're detecting and made the decision to dig, you want to extract whatever is in the ground. If it's clearly a good signal and the pinpointer finds iron (esp small iron), you want to pull the iron and re-scan. If it's an iffy signal, then you should already expect that there may be good and bad targets in the same hole. Pinpointing ain't the time to discriminate and, as the video demonstrates, a non-motion pinpointer will never be as competent at target disc as the main detector.

All that said, I will probably eventually design a VLF pinpointer that does target ID. Gotta give the people what they want, even if it makes no sense.

 

Two words: Sunray Probe.  In other words it CAN be done.  But why?

One situation is when you are relic hunting and clearing out a large trash or fire pit or hut, having a handheld probe that can quickly help you comb through the dirt tailings for goodies (vs. the numerous nails and ration can pieces that you will inevitably encounter) is a huge time saver especially if you are in a confined area that doesn't lend itself to swinging a full-sized detector along the walls of the pit.  Especially one that has trouble separating ferrous and non-ferrous targets in a high trash density environment such as what I just described.  It's a niche use to be sure, but I know a few thousand relic hunters who would probably buy a Pinpointer that could do that and it makes ALL the sense in the world to them.

The magnet is an alternative but tedious to use also.

My Deus does a pretty good job at it especially with the small form factor elliptical coil and wireless setup it can be broken down and used like a Pinpointer on steroids.  Kind of expensive, though. Lol.