Finally decided to try the MI-6 pinpointer

[desmobob]

I guess I'm getting cabin fever and I've been daydreaming about detecting. Today, I put the Dēus on the charger to top off the batteries and watched a few YouTube videos on detecting.

I've been using my old White's pinpointer, which has been a rugged workhorse, with my Dēus. The vibrate function's motor has worn out but it still works perfectly otherwise after years of use with my White's DFX. I also picked up a cheap carrot knock-off to keep in the car with my back-up gear. It seems to work very well, but I'm not sure about its durability.

Today, I decided to splurge on the XP MI-6. I love that it turns off the Dēus coil when you turn it on, and that it transmits through the Dēus headphones.

I'm currently running the 5.0 software on my Dēus (I'm a Mac user and can't do any software updates at home). I'm hoping a new MI-6 will function well with it. If not, I'm going to have to find someone with a Windows machine to help me update my software.

Any thoughts, hints, tips, etc.? I've got a solid 2 1/2 months before the ground thaws and I can start swinging a coil...

Good hunting,
Bob

 

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[Digalotajunk]

I LOVE my MI-6! I set up the program by putting it on pulse (beep) with a level 32 or 33 sensitivity.
That's basically it!

 

[DigDug216]

Here is the secret to the MI-6.

If set up correctly, this pin pointer will hit coin size targets up to 8 inches in the ground, decrease your recovery speed greatly and reduce the amount of plugs your digging.

Set-up: Connect it to you XP Deus, set sensitivity to max (50). Set to tone - NOT BEEP (beep will not sound off on super deep targets).

When a target is detected by your Deus, wiggle off the target to get a idea where the target is located. Now turn your pin pointer on and put the pin pointer 90 degrees to the plane of the ground. The pin pointer will start to buzz when it touched the ground. Move it around until it is at it's loudest. If you have ever used a detector that uses threshold and buzzes, it works a lot the same way. By the volume of the buzz and radius of the buzz, you can determine the size and depth. If the target is very very very deep, the pinpointer will make a very very very faint buzz - almost a light static noise. That is the only time i pull out my big shovel. Any target 6 inches or less can be retrieved with your hand shovel. Just stick the shovel in the ground about an inch and a half from the target and pry the soil upward in one motion. Most targets can be recovered in under 15 seconds with this method. I watch the youtube guys digging plugs for every target and that is a waste of time if you have the MI-6 pin pointer and use this technique. You can dig 2 or more targets by the time they dig 1. I will sometimes use a screw driver to pull out targets but your run a greater risk of digging the target. If the target is deep and you have to dig a plug because the target is super deep, once you stick the pin pointer into the hole, it will start making noise. Simple press and release the on/off button while its in the hole and it will null out the noise and now it will behave as a regular pin pointer. Happy hunting!


If you do not use the method above, you simply have the same pin pointer as a Garrett carrot.

 

[Timecop67]

I've only had my XP Orx and a MI-6 a month now but have spent several hours digging in the yard. I really miss the accurate pinpointing of my Teknetics 8500.... the late 80's coin computer. Pinpointing was spot on with the audio detuning and didn't need to carry or bolt on an extra pinpointer on the side of my machine to find targets & could use probe and screwdriver if desired and not have to dig large plugs. It could be they make a lot of extra sales of the MI-6 pinpointer so I would expect them not to go the other route. There are occasions where one may need a pinpointer but for years most coin hunters didn't have them.

 

[Jeff H]

Stick one of those little clear silicon nubs on the on/off switch. It definitely helps if you are wearing gloves. I like mine well enough but I don't pair it up the Deus anymore. That tenth of a second lag seemed like a lifetime to me.

 

[desmobob]

Stick one of those little clear silicon nubs on the on/off switch. It definitely helps if you are wearing gloves. I like mine well enough but I don't pair it up the Deus anymore. That tenth of a second lag seemed like a lifetime to me.

I had a packet of those clear silicone cabinet bumpers in my hand at the store the other day but didn't buy them. I was interested in building up the buttons on my Dēus remote. The buttons are just a touch too small in diameter for my big fingers and I remember reading something about adding these little discs. I thought about it for a while and wasn't sure if they were the right item, or if it would be a permanent change or would risk damage to the remote's keypad somehow.

Do you use the nubs on your remote as well as your pinpointer?

 

[vferrari]

I've only had my XP Orx and a MI-6 a month now but have spent several hours digging in the yard. I really miss the accurate pinpointing of my Teknetics 8500.... the late 80's coin computer. Pinpointing was spot on with the audio detuning and didn't need to carry or bolt on an extra pinpointer on the side of my machine to find targets & could use probe and screwdriver if desired and not have to dig large plugs. It could be they make a lot of extra sales of the MI-6 pinpointer so I would expect them not to go the other route. There are occasions where one may need a pinpointer but for years most coin hunters didn't have them.

That is likely due to the fact the Tek had a concentric coil. Pinpointing is a lot easier with concentric vice DD coils, but concentrics lose more depth than DDs in the presence of mineralization and DD’s can separate targets better and provide more even ground coverage because of the overlapping D coil design and the resulting shape of the magnetic field. At the limits of detection depth and in the presence of iron, today’s detectors have greater recovery speed (better target separation) and more reliable target ID than the 80’s detectors simply due to the ability to do faster signal processing. Furthermore, if you are going after targets beyond the reach of a probe, a stand-alone pinpointer is essential for target recovery unless you are willing to take a plug the diameter of the coil.

 

[Timecop67]

That is likely due to the fact the Tek had a concentric coil. Pinpointing is a lot easier with concentric vice DD coils, but concentrics lose more depth than DDs in the presence of mineralization and DD’s can separate targets better and provide more even ground coverage because of the overlapping D coil design and the resulting shape of the magnetic field. At the limits of detection depth and in the presence of iron, today’s detectors have greater recovery speed (better target separation) and more reliable target ID than the 80’s detectors simply due to the ability to do faster signal processing. Furthermore, if you are going after targets beyond the reach of a probe, a stand-alone pinpointer is essential for target recovery unless you are willing to take a plug the diameter of the coil.

Yes it could be that the 80s Teknetics had a concentric design...I had an 8 inch coil... I would have to pull the old spec sheet to know for sure. I know I was pulling 6 inch barber dimes with this Teknetics machine and 10 inch silver half dollars. Very good machine for it's time as George Payne designed...... if you ever used one....ahead of it's time. Just wish I had an updated version of that machine with todays integrated circuitry and multiple frequencies like the Deus or Equinox. Basically I'm punching a little deeper with the Deus (9 inch dimes vs 6 inch dimes), ability to work around iron with selectable frequencies, but the pinpointing is a step back in my opinion. The Tek machine was also well balanced and could swing it for a many many hours......it also had very reliable analog target ID....(some of the other Teknetics coincomputers had a digital readouts) .....and could cherry pick silver out of yards similar to the Etrac. They eventually moved to the Mark I design that had a faster recovery but had less filters if I remember correctly to go deeper into the soil. First Texas was not the company that produced the early Teknetic machines but I guess they bought the rights to produce similar machines that were never as good or the same as the originals.

 

[desmobob]

My new MI-6 arrived today, along with 4" of snow and 6.5" more in the forecast for tonight. :-(

It quickly and easily paired with both my wireless backphones and my remote. It seems very solid and well-made, having a more durable feel than my old White's pinpointer and my cheap carrot knock-off. The sheath and its belt clip are very, very nice. A quick air test shows it works as advertised. Now, I just have to wait for spring to arrive!


I know I haven't even used it yet, but I could almost recommend it at this point because it reeks of quality...

 

[relicmeister]

I have both the Mi6 and Mi4 because sometimes I prefer to not have the detector disabled to use the pinpointer, if the pinpointer doesn’t pick up the target right away then I can wave the coil over the spot again without turning the pp off

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

I have both the Mi6 and Mi4 because sometimes I prefer to not have the detector disabled to use the pinpointer, if the pinpointer doesn’t pick up the target right away then I can wave the coil over the spot again without turning the pp off

I don't think you have to pair the MI6. It can be used as a stand alone without cutting off the Deus coil when you turn it on...

 

[relicmeister]

Yes Im aware of this, but I prefer to have both, one when I want to have it through my Ws Audio headphones, and one that doesn’t ( and not having to pair or un-pair depending on my preference that day), and I also want to use an XP with my equinox.
I especially like the pitch mode - once I tried it , I never wanted to go back to the pulse mode.

 

[Gare]

Maybe a local library will allow you to update ?

 

[desmobob]

Maybe a local library will allow you to update ?

You have to download an installation program to the PC. I can't imagine there's a library anywhere that would let folks download and install programs onto library computers...