Detecting without a Pinpointer

[Olddigs]

For me I use a brand name pinpointer and wouldn't hunt without one except in sand. I am still learning with my MD A PP makes getting to the finds quicker for me. It's possible to detect without a pin pointer but it requires an acquired skill in being able to accurately pinpoint with your MD and using a probe to find your target. Most real old timers used this method before pinpointers but it is on totally another level of detecting to me. All detectors have a learning curve and usually the only way to get better is to put the time in using it and being informed from sites like this. Practice does makes perfect, or better any way.




Whites Prism, Bulls eye 2 PP

 

[gargreen18]

First of all you should be clear on just what a pinpointer does. It wont keep you from having to dig the hole , you still have to dig it before you can even use the pinpointer so you will still damage the grass. It wont keep you from missing your target spot when you dig either , you still need to be good enough to pinpoint the correct location with the detector before you dig. And once you are good at pinpointing with the detector and digging the plug , atleast 50% of the time if not more you probably wont need the handheld pinpointer because the target is right there anyway many times in plain sight. Im not saying dont get a pinpointer because they can be usefull , just that much of the time they are not needed and its just another thing to have to carry and put batteries in. Just sayin that unless you really want to spend the money ,...... it may be best to just work on your skill at pinpointing with the detector and digging the hole.....then you should be able to find almost any target as quick or quicker than getting the handheld out and using that.

Thanks for this info. I was thinking the same thing after I watched some video on Youtube the guy had no pin pointer and was finding his targets in seconds. So, I thought he planted his targets but when I watched more video others were doing the same. I think I should practice pinpointin with my detector.

 

[Japan]

Thanks for this info. I was thinking the same thing after I watched some video on Youtube the guy had no pin pointer and was finding his targets in seconds. So, I thought he planted his targets but when I watched more video others were doing the same. I think I should practice pinpointin with my detector.

Yes, the detector is certainly better than any PP. Anyone can find any target with just a detector. But a PP will speed things up a lot. And you can make cleaner holes in the grass that are impossible with a detector alone. So it depends on your wants.

Of course the money is also an issue. PPs are expensive.

 

[gargreen18]

What I want is not to destroy the beautiful parks in my area. I will look into a pinpointer eventually.

 

[ProPointer]

If I didn't have a pinpointer I couldn't dig a hole ANYWHERE and retrieve the coin without a making a mess. I'm glad I got one, hiopefully hoping to make a move to a Sun-Ray or a ProPointer soon.

 

[tjn63]

...the day i decided I needed a pinpointer was the day I dug up one of my holes from a week earlier, and found an indian head penny in my loose dirt on the side of the hole! That's the day I realized I probably miss alot of good coins without one!

 

[ohiochris]

Thanks for this info. I was thinking the same thing after I watched some video on Youtube the guy had no pin pointer and was finding his targets in seconds. So, I thought he planted his targets but when I watched more video others were doing the same. I think I should practice pinpointin with my detector.

It took some practice but I can cut a small plug directly over my target and 90% of the time I have the coin or whatever it is in literally just a few seconds. Call me a purist , but for those who cant locate a target or do it without making a huge mess without a pinpointer , I think you would be doing yourself a favor to get good at it without the pinpointer first , then move on to the pp. There are times I really could use one , so they are worth having , just usually not necessary.

 

[EncrustedYen]

It took some practice but I can cut a small plug directly over my target and 90% of the time I have the coin or whatever it is in literally just a few seconds. Call me a purist , but for those who cant locate a target or do it without making a huge mess without a pinpointer , I think you would be doing yourself a favor to get good at it without the pinpointer first , then move on to the pp. There are times I really could use one , so they are worth having , just usually not necessary.

With a pinpointer you will be spot on 100 percent of the time..that is a purist

If I were out in the boonies with a big shovel digging carefree holes it wouldnt be much of an issue but here in the city in Japan the need to keep it clean and tidy is magnified.

It is a tool to help you do your job better ..nothing more.

 

[ohiochris]

With a pinpointer you will be spot on 100 percent of the time..that is a purist

If I were out in the boonies with a big shovel digging carefree holes it wouldnt be much of an issue but here in the city in Japan the need to keep it clean and tidy is magnified.

It is a tool to help you do your job better ..nothing more.

Right , but if you are not very good at pinpointing with the detector , or cutting the plug/flap , etc. , without making a mess or missing the right spot completely , then the pp isnt going to be as much help. So claiming it as the answer to many problems to someone who needs to get proficient with the basics first will not help them so much. Thats why I say get good at doing it without one first , then invest in a pinpointer if you still think you need one.

 

[EncrustedYen]

Right , but if you are not very good at pinpointing with the detector , or cutting the plug/flap , etc. , without making a mess or missing the right spot completely , then the pp isnt going to be as much help. So claiming it as the answer to many problems to someone who needs to get proficient with the basics first will not help them so much. Thats why I say get good at doing it without one first , then invest in a pinpointer if you still think you need one.

Actually you have it completely backwards. When starting out and learning your machine and how to accurately pin point you dont want to be making
big messy craters and suffering needless frustration. As you get better you will probably require a pinpointer less often. Using a pin pointer is one the basics which is why nearly every MDer has one.

 

[gargreen18]

For right now, since I don't have a PP, I just don't dig up parks.

 

[ohiochris]

Actually you have it completely backwards. When starting out and learning your machine and how to accurately pin point you dont want to be making
big messy craters and suffering needless frustration. As you get better you will probably require a pinpointer less often. Using a pin pointer is one the basics which is why nearly every MDer has one.

When starting out and learning your machine , you are gonna make a mess and be frustrated anyway no matter what. A pp cant help you until you can atleast get close without one , but thats an important step in the learning process. But I am speaking in generalities I admit , and not everybody is the same.

 

[Old Town]

gargreen18, I happen to think they are worthless and I've tried two different models. A metal probe is far more accurate on surface items, especially coins, and it costs next to nothing. Once you start to dig below grass roots level, one only has to take handfuls of dirt and wave these at your coil. The detector is lying right there next to you, use it to check these handfuls. It's quicker and requires less juggling of items.

At the sand beach no probe of any kind makes any sense to me. You scoop the target with a big scoop and shake. No pointer needed.

The real key to recovering items quickly is using a machine that is very good at Xing over the target to determine center. Tesoro's and White's and Fisher's are all very quick recovering and a person can easily get within an inch or two with a little practice. I can honestly say I've not missed a target on the first try in years. Take a fair plug (5") if you cannot find the target in the top grass and this should be big enough to never miss. This works for me every time. I take the plug, loosen some soil, and if I don't see the coin wave the dirt in front of my coil. It's always in this dirt or deeper. If the target is below a certain depth I know it's not a coin or ring and leave it alone. I don't hunt metal pipes at 18". Anything I'm interested in is shallower.

Try getting used to a metal probe after first getting a good location by Xing over the target. Took me a about 2 weeks to get good with an icepick probe I have used for years.

Old Town

 

[ohiochris]

I dont see how using a pp can make your diggs cleaner or neater. A probe does that , but before you can use the pp you still have to make a hole or a flap in order to go through it with the tip of the pinpointer , which can end up taking actually more time than waving a handfull of dirt past the MD coil or atleast as much time. Either way you have still cut the hole and gone through the dirt , and done either way you can still keep the hole nice and clean if you do it right. At times when the target is lost in the grass roots the pp can help you locate it without tearing the grass up too bad but thats the best advantage to having a pp that I can see and thats usually only a small percentage of the time and on targets that havent been in the ground that long. I used a borrowed pinpointer a couple times and found it to be just an extra step in the process and something extra to carry with me. Different people have different styles of doing things so maybe thats the difference , they might be of more use to those used to doing things a different way. I dont think pinpointers are useless they have their place but I think for the most part people like gadgets , the more gadgets the better even if they are not always needed. But I think its important to point out that I have been doing this for a pretty long time , since the early 90's and its possible that I am just set in my ways.

 

[EncrustedYen]

I dont see how using a pp can make your diggs cleaner or neater. A probe does that , but before you can use the pp you still have to make a hole or a flap in order to go through it with the tip of the pinpointer , which can end up taking actually more time than waving a handfull of dirt past the MD coil or atleast as much time. Either way you have still cut the hole and gone through the dirt , and done either way you can still keep the hole nice and clean if you do it right. At times when the target is lost in the grass roots the pp can help you locate it without tearing the grass up too bad but thats the best advantage to having a pp that I can see and thats usually only a small percentage of the time and on targets that havent been in the ground that long. I used a borrowed pinpointer a couple times and found it to be just an extra step in the process and something extra to carry with me. Different people have different styles of doing things so maybe thats the difference , they might be of more use to those used to doing things a different way. I dont think pinpointers are useless they have their place but I think for the most part people like gadgets , the more gadgets the better even if they are not always needed. But I think its important to point out that I have been doing this for a pretty long time , since the early 90's and its possible that I am just set in my ways.

Well Chris I dont use a probe though I know many of the old timers who are very good swear by them. Me , I just dont wanna be poking what I am going to dig up. ( I realize you guys use soft metals like brass for probing )

My argument for using a pinpointer is thus...

With the Garret ProPointer it will give me a spot on location for objects down to about 3 inches depending on size. In the process it gives even more information with practise.

Before doing any digging check the target.

For loud chatter coin pop is best.
Fairly loud ..pizza slice or pop it.
Moderate chatter...dig a horseshoe flap.
Faint... dig a plug.
Silent...dig a deep plug

At dig a plug stage being able to use the machines pinpointing is def a must.

The end result is..

Faster recovery
No damage to shallow targets
No lost targets
Minimal damage to the sod
Ease of recovering multiple targets in same hole.
No frustration and more money in your pouch at the end of the day.



The ProPointer has a great holster and resides on my pouch belt causing no inconvenience of any kind. It runs on a single 9 volt battery which seldom needs replacing.

For shallow finds using the machines pinpointing is rather pointless
For deep digging yeah you gotta learn the machines pinpointing capability

I went 6 months just using my machine with no pinpointer and I thought I was doing just fine. It wasnt until I got a free pinpointer that I realized how much better having one made the experience.

 

[Japan]

Ya, I just want to back up Yen about that
I have an Ace 250, went for a coupe of months on just that. I have a GPP now and it is much much easier. At least with my Ace it can be off at times. I feel confident to say I can pinpoint with the Ace now - and it is occasionally off ... for some reason. No more than 2 inches. But to anyone who has dug in a sensitive area like a park, that is a lot of hole. With the GPP, I know exactly to the millimeter where it is, using the same techniques as I used with the Ace.
I think the main issue is money, or more accurately value. I could afford a GPP before, but I did not really want to inc\vest more in the hobby as I know my personality and I will feel responsible to use it more due to buying it. Meh

 

[Old Town]

Yen, it' not my intent to be contrary, but all that data you get from your pointer I get from my detector and it's abilities in the first place. I know before I probe if the object is in range by my depth meter or by raising and lowering the coil. I already have a better device to discern target type; my 1000 dollar detector and its readouts or noises.

I mean no ill. I'm just one of those old farts who finds the fewer tools you use, the better off you are. It's like the man who shoots one gun; he just might know how to use it. (old cowboy saying)

Old Town

 

[Japan]

Well, a $1000 detector certainly outranks me, so I degress.

 

[Lightningjack]

Just my personal preference!! I couldn't imagine hunting without a hand help pin pointer..A good example where mine came in handy was a while back I got a good signal between the roots of a large tree 6 inches down, I have no doubt that without my pin pointer I most likely would not have recovered the barber quarter that was stuck between the 2 large roots of the tree.. I've used a 9 dollar pointer & a 200 dollar pointer & I'd say any cheap pin-pointer is better then none in my opinion..

 

[Old Town]

Well, a $1000 detector certainly outranks me, so I degress.

Wasn't trying to be a snob. Any ACE 250 will give you depth. Any Silver Max Tesoro can be lifted to determine depth. All detectors of modest price will have sound distortion for discrimination at least. All are better than a pinpointer in determining depth or metal type. This was my only point.

OT