Many folks probably think that pinponters have been around as long as detectors, they haven't.
Others probably think that Garrett came out with the carrot, everyone copied it, and here we are today, not so.
It was a process of evolution, and they tried some interesting concepts before the Carrot model was established.
My 1st one around a decade ago was the Wizard Vib Probe. Was thrilled with this thing right away, I saw the beauty of it and realized it added a new dimension to target retrieval. Was shaped like a pistol, had thumbwheel adjustable sensitivity and a little LED light, vibration and audio alert, which of course are still standard today. It had 1 bad flaw - Its thin PVC neck snapped at the drop of a hat. We all know, we like to probe and even dig with these things, you aggressively rub it in the hole, hoping if you push just a little more you'll get a signal and save you from digging any more. This thing just couldn't take that, I broke it pretty quick and tried patching it together with crazy glue and duct tape, finally gave up and bought another. Same thing happened to that one, brought one more and when it broke, I was intrigued by a new model, the Sherlock.
[Don't have the Wiz anymore, this pic is from ebay where they are still being sold - They work great in tot lots and other easy target situations, might get the cops called on you though due to its shape]
Dug this thing out of a junk locker, could never bring myself to throw it away even though it no longer beeps. A bit bigger and thicker than a deck of cards, it also featured adjustable sensitivity and a LED light. Has a snubby little snout that doesn't break easily, but then again, you could do precious little digging with it anyhow. Was great for tot lots but its snubbed snout and boxy shape limited its usefulness in dirt hunting, I used it for years until Garrett finally came up with the perfect pinpointer that was both useful and rugged.
Any more odd pinpointers, feel free to post.
Others probably think that Garrett came out with the carrot, everyone copied it, and here we are today, not so.
It was a process of evolution, and they tried some interesting concepts before the Carrot model was established.
My 1st one around a decade ago was the Wizard Vib Probe. Was thrilled with this thing right away, I saw the beauty of it and realized it added a new dimension to target retrieval. Was shaped like a pistol, had thumbwheel adjustable sensitivity and a little LED light, vibration and audio alert, which of course are still standard today. It had 1 bad flaw - Its thin PVC neck snapped at the drop of a hat. We all know, we like to probe and even dig with these things, you aggressively rub it in the hole, hoping if you push just a little more you'll get a signal and save you from digging any more. This thing just couldn't take that, I broke it pretty quick and tried patching it together with crazy glue and duct tape, finally gave up and bought another. Same thing happened to that one, brought one more and when it broke, I was intrigued by a new model, the Sherlock.
[Don't have the Wiz anymore, this pic is from ebay where they are still being sold - They work great in tot lots and other easy target situations, might get the cops called on you though due to its shape]
Dug this thing out of a junk locker, could never bring myself to throw it away even though it no longer beeps. A bit bigger and thicker than a deck of cards, it also featured adjustable sensitivity and a LED light. Has a snubby little snout that doesn't break easily, but then again, you could do precious little digging with it anyhow. Was great for tot lots but its snubbed snout and boxy shape limited its usefulness in dirt hunting, I used it for years until Garrett finally came up with the perfect pinpointer that was both useful and rugged.
Any more odd pinpointers, feel free to post.