Garret Pro-Pointer

Hi All
Has anyone had cause to use the pro-pointer that is being sold by Garrett. (http://www.goldminingcentre.com.au/Metal%20Detectors/ProPointer/propointer.html)

Was thinking how useful they would be when digging out targets especially with large coils. Can fit to the backpack...

Might give some hints for birthday.... at $235

Ray

It is great you don't have to tune it . Its done automatically. No knobs to wear out. No retuning as the batteries weaken, . And when you turn it on and put the probe in a hole to find that hidden coin, you get a slight beep and vibration . And both intensify as you manoeuvre the tip towards that target. It goes deep 2.5-3'' IT is a solid pinpointer.I have had mine for awhile now used approx 30 hrs still on original batteries .

Hi Wally,
have you tried the pinpointer in the goldfields on gold?

cheers fencejumper

fencejumper wrote:Hi Wally,
have you tried the pinpointer in the goldfields on gold?

cheers fencejumper

No I have been told it will do an air test on a .02 gram nugget at 1''
Wally

You don't NEED a pinpointer. But since it speeds up your recovery time AND it reduces the chances of pick-strike on a good nugget, I like to use them. I bought my Garrett Pro-Pointer a couple of months ago (I paid a little more than that though) and have recovered 1 gram to ounce sized nuggets with it. It's a winner... Pulse Induction to boot. I used to use a Vibraprobe 570 but the timer-switch on that detector would annoy me sometimes by not switching itself off if it could sense metal nearby. There's no buttons on the Vibraprobe - just a mercury switch. You hold the Vibraprobe upright for a few seconds and it turns itself on. Holster it again in the inverted position and the device switches itself off after 60 seconds UNLESS it detects a target ... in which case it remains on. The manual on-off switch on the Pro-Pointer is sealed with a rubber cushion to keep water & dirt out and the audio response means it beeps faster and faster the closer the tip gets to the proximity to the target. In the air, that's just a couple of inches or more and the intensity (speed) of the beeping is also matched by a vibration as well. When touching a target, the unit releases a single constant tone (Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!) rather than a steady series of beeps.


The Garrett Pro-Pointer in use on the Goldfields. Notice how a target blends in here with the dirt. There's a .22 cal bullet (lead) in the dirt just in front of the Pinpointer in the picture but you can't see it. Only the Pinpointer can.

The Pro-pointer comes with a shaped nylon mesh pouch and I loop that through the waist-strap on my GPX harness and pull it around to my side as best I can. It's there for access if I need it using my left hand. The audio tone is shrill and easy to hear. In a noisy environment, you can feel the vibration pulses as well. The entire length of the probe is sensitive but it's easy to touch around the inside of a hole to see if the target is close to where the very tip is located. I found the Pro-Pointer to be ever so slightly less sensitive than the Vibraprobe. But I prefer the audio and response pulses of the Pro-Pointer by comparison. I much prefer to using a Pinpointer to find exactly where the target is instead of using the edge of a Monoloop coil. I can also use my plastic scoop to remove soil and then pinpoint the contents of my spoon.


The Vibraprobe 570.

I purchased my first pinpointer via the internet over a year ago (the Vibraprobe) and used it fairly extensively as it is VERY sensitive. I can even find the sub-rice-grain sized microchip in my cat, Mauii. I really am a bog fan of the use of a Pinpointer as a recovery aid when nuggetting. The ability to determine where the target is means less chance of pick-strike on a nugget by accident. Your detector won't tell you how close you are to unearthing your target but the pinpointer will tell you you close you are when you get within a few inches of it.


Digging up a 1 ounce nugget (1x arrow) by accident... after pinpointing a .22 caliber shell (2x arrows).

When I first used the Pro-Pointer,
I find it to be a robust design with a unique way of holding the 9V battery in place without the usual clamp or spring design. It's water resistant compared to the Vibraprobe which is waterproof. I've used both with VLF detectors to speed up recovery but they really shine when the user is employing a larger coil and is having trouble pinpointing. The first time I dug a target with the GPX-4500, I got a few feet down in very difficult clay-based soils and was unable to retrieve the target. I had neglected to bring my Vibraprobe pinpointer with me and eventually had to give up in failing light at the end of the day. I filled in my hole and returned home. The following week, I returned to the same spot with a soldier I know (who was insisting me on unearthing my "monster nugget") and he quickly dug out the hole again as I set up the camera. My target was below the handstacked rocks of the 1870s and under the gravel wash of an ancient creek bed... below the pipeclay within 50 feet of the site where 1200 ounce nuggets were once found. So I felt pretty confident that I was onto something "ideal". Before digging deeper, I ran the Pinpointer into the re-excavated hole and there was the target, already exposed. It turned out to be junk (I was surprised but disappointed) but it made me realize that I needed to use a pinpointer more often in my tool selection when Prospecting and Nuggeting. It's not essential if you've taught yourself how to use your coil and to pinpoint with it but it's essential if you want to speed up recovery time because all targets in dirt take on the appearance of the dirt they're embedded in.

WALLY wrote:
I have been told it will do an air test on a .02 gram nugget at 1''

A 0.18g and a 0.21g nugget chimed when sitting on the tip of the pinpointer but were ignored in the air if held over the tip. I tested it tonight for you. Holding them in the air over the side of the sifting blade triggered a response in the air.
They were "visible" to the pinpointer when held 5mm from the last 4cm of the sifting blade. The sifting blade is a long, slightly protruding plastic strip which runs the entire length of the tip of the probe and is designed to enable users to sift through soil.

A 0.13g flat nugget with a larger surface area than the two other test subjects was all but ignored by the pinpointer at the tip. That's the "arrow" shaped one just below the Probe tip in the picture below.

Note that in my earlier experiments with the Pinpointer, I found that the probe became more and less sensitive depending on the location it is in when turned on. It is as though the Pinpointer quickly calibrates itself to electrical interference when it's turned on. Hence, switching it on near my computer means it's a little less sensitive. But when it's switched on outdoors, it's more sensitive. I'll post again on this probe if I discover more on this quirk. If you turn two probes on side by side... and then take turns tilting the tip of one probe towards the EMF field of the other, you'll get a slightly different field of sensitivity depending on which unit was turned on first. Very curious.


Test Subjects

Marco
Again an interesting thread... during my research on his I came up with the 'Detectorpro' Pistol Probe which seems to go down alot deeper as can be seen in this test (4inches as opposed to 1inch www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK4ujXzGQmM) . As I normally run medium to large monos on my GPX I find these tools would assist greatly as I normally use a small 'Joey' to pinpoint . As the pistol probe is about the same price as the Garrett I am going to make inquiries to have one shipped over and will evaluate.... (early birthday present)

Ray

PS Dont let that other clown get under your skin, as u put it ... those that brag are generall full of sh*t anyway....

Thanks for the info sounds good.

Hi Ray,

Could you let me know where you are buying your 'Detectorpro' Pistol Probe. I want to get one too, but I have found most US shops find it too much trouble to ship overseas.

Thanks,

Jigalong

Hey Jigalong,
Will do.... I have sent out a number of emails for prices to the door.. will let u know when I have received the rest of the emails back.... whilst u are here... u know the place I took you at Dunolly a couple of years ago were I got the half ouncer (when u first got your van)... we re-did that area just before xmas and found a further 2.75 ounces... so much for smooth timings I think.....

Ray

Tryed my new pinpointer out this week,very impressed with it. but it is setting the 4500 off when turned off and even behind my back.
I put the detector down and waved my pick about 3 foot from the coil,(11 commander) but the pro pointer was being picked up at 5 or 6 feet,pro pointer was turned off .There is more metal in my pick than could possibly be in a pro pointer,it is a shame because it works perfect and would make target recovery a lot easier,is there a fix for this problem.
cheers Dave

Dave

I have one too and think it's the best and the 3000 picks it up the same but there is one place I have not tried to hide it and will never put it up there

I have been using it with my E-Trac for the last two weeks and can't beat it for finding coins.

My pro pointer works fine with my Gp3500 with both mono and DD coils.
Interesting the Pro pointer is causing interference with the GPX units even when the probe is switched off.
Also the distance said is well beyond the metallic component range of the detector so the pro pointer must be partly powering up via the detectors coil field and causing electronic interference feedback to the detector.
I have seen electronic air conditioning controls being up set via close transmission towers and a similar test with a fluro light tube under high tension power lines causes it to light up.
Mark

I have experienced similar problems. Its compounded by the fact it's the most useful when you've got a big coil on and pinpointing is a little rougher - anything even close to your waistline and it's going off. (4500)

I'm going to try storing it a little higher, maybe if I get it up around shoulder height (maybe on the harness?) it'll be out of the way and not too much hassle. They really are a great piece of gear and it's a shame to have to leave it in the tent.

It makes you think too; as detectors become more powerful & sensitive we're all going to have to become increasingly aware of the metal in our clothes and other gear - I'm not sure whether I'll be stoked or spewing by the time I have to pull the band off the Akubra

Perhaps one day they'll be so strong we'll be carrying plastic picks!

JP pointed out that this curious phenomenon had come to his attention a little while back. I really like the ProPointer and it seems to only be a few people with GPXs that are affected... even then, only with some coils and some detectors... not all. He asked me to test it and I had nothing to report with my 11" DD coil nor any of my other coils either. Then, surprise-surprise... I used a bigger coil and off it goes. Even when turned off. Very interesting. I did make a mention of it here in another thread when JP brought it up. Hard to say WHY this is happening (shielding?) but it only happens with some coils and not others. When I turn off the pinpointer, I wear it high on my harness near the shoulder. No problem with the NF Advantage 14x9" coils. no problem with my larger 24x12" coil.... nor my 6" Coiltek coil nor my stock 11" DD coil. But when i put on the 16" Round coil from Nugget Finder, the detector went wild with the ProPointer... but ONLY when it was turned on. When it was turned off, it did trigger a response from this 16" Round coil but only when held close to either end of the detector.

Solution for me: I have installed a switch on my external speaker. If using the pinpointer with the afflicted coil, I simply turn off the speaker when the probe is in action.

Still, it's strange. And it only occurs with just one of my coils. Other people have reported a similar response when using a coil in the 15" range as well.
I tend to wear mine up high on the shoulder (see picture). It's clear that there's a resonant response from the probe when the detector is outputting a higher strength but in the end, it may be an issue of component shielding that is the ultimate cause. I honestly don't know. Might annoy people without an on/off switch on their speaker though if they are one of the few affected.


Stupid and unhappy. This is how I look when I have a migraine and I've run out of water.

Hi Everyone
Yes I am haveing the same problem with the Garret Pro pinpointer,no matter what I do my 4500 goes right off when its anywhere near it,was thinking of makeing a new holder out of some PCV to try and shield it,if anyone else comes up with any other way please let us know because its a great tool.
Cheers Jon.

hey troubled members
easy fixed ,on a lighter note , drag it like a chain , put wheels on it , but get it the hell out of their . lol

I saw a few places in the US advertising the price of Garrett Pro Pointer at aound $150US

With the aussie dollar the way it is, should be able to get one of these babies for around $170 shipped ??

Can anyone recommend a dealer in the US who will ship to Oz ?

Jimbo.

I am told that you can get the ProPointer for around $147.00 US and I fail to see why Aussies have to pay $230 When our dollar is on a par with the US dollar. It seems to me that Dealer greed has set in.
It is easy to purchase direct nowadays and if I needed a Garret, that is what I would do. Meantime I am very happy with my Whites Bullzeye 2 which is available from Dunnolly at a realistic price. (around $120)

Panther

put the end of it in aluminium tin foil. make a sock for it to fit into.

Im the same
Great tool but cant be on me with the 4500 because it makes it go off even when turned off
pain in the neck cause its stopped me digging deeper than necessary when the target is in the wall of the hole

Guys I have a question for you. Where in Australia are the Garrett pro pointers being sold for $230? I'll do you one for $150 + $10 express post.
I use one & it makes my detecting so much easier. It helped me on the weekend find a 1921 britania penny at 7". Lovely faint signal on the gold bug pro dp with a cool find at the bottom! Helped locate it & it's direction in the hole.

Our newest member has them cheap as does the fellow in Charters Towers.

The Garretts are a very nice pinpointer from everything I have read but I am in the process of building my own equivalent to the Garrett Pro pointer for under $50 in parts.

There is nothing to these they are very simple to make and they wont upset your main detector.

Hopefully I can get someone with a Garret Pro pointer to test it and compare them for me when I am done.

Most people don't realise it but a coil is not just pointing its magnetic field downwards it goes up and out as well.

In fact pointing the coil at the ground changes the shape of the magnetic field and squashes the bottom of it.

Also a single strand of wire left on a table without a circuit attached to it will have a magnetic field around it. Nikola Tesla said there was power in a single strand of wire and proved it with his experiments.

I would suggest that there is some interaction happening between the field at the top of the coil and the pro pointer (even though it is off) and it would be to do with the pro pointer inductively coupling with the transmit coil in the main detector and acting as a receiving coil.

Also I just found out that aparently you can double the sensitivity of the pro pointer with a simple technique described here:

http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/index.php?topic=2078.0

I would also suggest you might get even better results using a weak magnet in a similar fashion but please do not try this at home as it may wreck the circuit inside the pro pointer.

Hope this helps.

That was a really interesting video
it seems to work.

Now to find a way to shield the probe from the detector...

This is my mates solution to interferance with the 5000 from the pinpointer. it is made from a skinny alloy deodorant can cut and siliconed inside the pouch. it works!
i copied this post from another page on the pinpointer.

Thank you Tricky 1,

As soon as I posted that last, I remembered this picture
and went back and referred to it. It looks like another good idea.

thanks again for taking the time to repost...


flak

That's pretty nifty. Good way to remind you that it's still switched when putting it back in. I was watching the Garrett videos on YouTube. They were using the AT Gold to find relics in the river. One of the guys had siliconed his pro pointer up & was using it under water! Something I wouldn't advise. But it worked for him.